The Madness of Raven
by CheySkywalker
Summary: Going on a trip around Cyrodiil with the Hero of Kvatch would be the adventure of a lifetime. At least, that's what Raven Llervu thinks. But this trip is nothing like the expected. A chatty ghost, an accidental trip to Oblivion, and revelations about her beloved hero put Raven's sanity to the test.
1. Prologue: Meeting Alanna

I hated living in the Imperial City.

It wasn't that the Imperial City itself was all that bad. I would have loved it, had it been just a visit. But it couldn't be just a visit. We were stuck here, because our home was gone. Kvatch, the city I had grown up in, where I had learned magic and swordplay, where everybody knew my name and had a kind word to say, it was simply gone. Almost no one was left.

If my mother hadn't taken my twin brother Redoras and I to visit her friend Undena in Skingrad, we'd be just three more of the many dead in the siege of Kvatch. We had come home to a small camp, with the few survivors wandering around in a state of disbelief. Mama had cried when she found out my father, one of the Count's bodyguards, had died during the attack. She had left Redoras and me in the camp while she went into the city, trying to find something to salvage from our home. She had brought back a small amount of gold and my father's sword.

We had stayed in the camp for a few days, until my mother got a message from her friend Herminia Cinna in the Imperial City, inviting us to come live with her. She had gotten my mother a job and everything. So Mama had bundled us up and moved us to the Imperial City. She worked as a cook in a fancy hotel and a healer when needed. She was trying to raise the money to move us somewhere else.

Herminia watched Redoras and I while our mother was at work. She taught us things about the ancient Ayleids, how they had built what we call the Imperial City, and how they were eventually overthrown by the followers of Saint Alessia. Sometimes she took us around the Imperial City, teaching us the history behind the statues in each of the districts. It hadn't been too bad, but all I had wanted was to be home.

Then the Imperial City had been attacked. We were locked in the house, terrified of what was happening outside. Even Herminia was scared, and she didn't get scared easily. I had been convinced that the Imperial City was going to be destroyed like Kvatch, and we were all going to die.

As it turned out, we didn't die. When we were allowed out of the house, I found that our part of the city had barely been touched. It had been the Temple District that had been seriously damaged, with the Temple roof blown up and the streets shredded.

There was a giant statue in the middle of the Temple of the One, one that hadn't been there before the attack. People talked about it a lot. They said that Emperor Martin Septim had sacrificed himself to close the barriers between Tamriel and Oblivion. I didn't really understand it all. What I did understand was that the man people called "Martin Septim" was my friend Brother Martin, the priest in the Temple of Akatosh back home. I had thought he died when Kvatch was attacked, but apparently not.

I had been sitting in the house, trying to talk Herminia into taking Redoras and I to see the Temple of the One, when my mother walked in. This was surprising in itself; she was supposed to be at work. Then two of the City Guards followed her in, carrying a person between them. Herminia jumped up, leading them upstairs. Redoras and I were left to wonder what was going on.

The guards that had come in came back downstairs, exchanging worried looks. "Who was that person you carried in?" Redoras had asked them.

"Well, kiddo, that was the Hero of Kvatch." one of the guards answered. "She was with the Emperor when he defeated the Daedra Lord." We had heard of the Hero of Kvatch, who had closed the Oblivion Gate and saved a whole bunch of our fellow townspeople. She was a Dark Elf, like us, and her name was Alanna.

"What's wrong with her?" Redoras asked.

"No one knows." the guard replied, seeming a bit uncomfortable. "They found her like that when they got into the Temple. She won't talk to anyone, it's like she can't hear you. Your mama's gonna see if she can help her get better."

"Octavian, we need to get back on patrol." the other guard said. They bid us farewell and left.

"Come on, Raven, let's go see the Hero of Kvatch!" Redoras had said excitedly. He grabbed my hand and dragged me upstairs.

"Children, your mother is trying to work." Herminia scolded when we tried to get into the room. "I'll take you to the Temple now."

Redoras had been easily distracted, ready to go to the Temple and see the giant dragon statue. But I had been determined to see the Hero of Kvatch, and I promised my mother that I would be quiet and leave her alone while she worked. Herminia took Redoras to the Temple of the One, and I sat down in the bedroom to look at the woman who had helped save Tamriel.

She was surprisingly young, probably in her mid-twenties. I had expected someone older, more warrior-like. She had paler skin than most Dunmer, and was a little shorter; making me think she had some Bosmer blood in her. The armor she wore was shiny and well cared-for, but it had obviously seen battle. Mama had removed her sword belt, setting it next to her on the bed. It had the same well cared-for look as her armor.

What disturbed me about the woman was her face. Her eyes were open, and she looked terrified. Her lips were moving, like she was saying something, but no sound came out. Her hands twitched on the bed, like she was having a bad dream. I felt the urge to go to her and give her a hug.

I focused on her lips, trying to figure out what she was saying. I had never been a good lip-reader, but I decided to try anyway. There was an "M" motion at the beginning, an "N" at the end. Those were easy. The middle was tougher. I was pretty sure there was a "T", but I couldn't be completely sure. I focused on the part between the "M" and the possible "T", certain that was the key to figuring out what she was saying. It took a bit of thinking, but then I realized it was an "R". "M", "R", "T", "N".

"Martin." I said aloud, and then put a hand over my mouth. I had promised Mama I'd be quiet.

The word seemed to have an effect on the Hero of Kvatch. Her eyes snapped to me like a magnet. "Martin." she said, her voice rough, like she had been crying.

"Alanna?" my mother had asked, going to her side. "Are you all right?"

Alanna's eyes moved to her. "Martin." she said. "M-Martin's gone, isn't he?"

"Yes, Alanna." my mother had replied. "He sacrificed himself to close the barrier."

Alanna had nodded, and then sat up. "Martin." she murmured, then began to cry.

I couldn't resist it then. I got up, going to Alanna and hugging her. She had put her head on my shoulder, sobbing. I shed a few tears myself, mourning the loss of my friend.

Alanna had cried herself out on my shoulder, then left. "I have things to attend to." she had said, wiping tears from her cheeks. "I will be back."

And she had come back. Sometimes she would sit and talk to my mother for hours on end, and sometimes she would just be there, in the background, a grieving heroine. At first, she was numb, unfeeling, but in time, she had learned to smile and laugh again. She credited us with her recovery, and promised to repay us, somehow. Mama had refused all of her offers of repayment, claiming that it was good enough to have gained a new friend. Redoras and I had begun to call her "Aunt Alanna", and she smiled every time she heard it. She visited every day, and we began to wait excitedly for her on the road in front of the house.

But one day, Aunt Alanna didn't come to visit. People said she had gone to Chorrol on some important business. When she came back, she gave my mother a key and said she had bought a house for us in Chorrol. Mama had been appalled at the news, but Aunt Alanna convinced her to take us to Chorrol. She had accompanied us, smiling the entire trip.

We've lived in Chorrol since then. Aunt Alanna comes to visit now and then, in between all of the other things she does. I practice swordplay, Redoras practices magic, and Mama tries to keep us out of trouble. It's not Kvatch, but as I grew older, I realized that it didn't really need to be. I still mourned the loss of my friends, of my father, of everything I had known, but I had grown. Chorrol was my home now.

* * *

**(A/N) This was just a little prologue thing explaining some of the stuff that happened before the beginning of the story. Raven's about nine at this point, and the story begins about ten years after this.**


	2. Chapter 1: A Surprise Visit

"Raven, wait for me!"

I turned to find Redoras hurrying to catch up to me. I stopped, waiting impatiently for my twin to come up beside me. "You're so slow." I complained, matching my pace to his.

"I am not." he retorted, frowning. "I walk at a normal pace. You're the one whose speed is abnormal. You're always running around, and jumping everywhere, too. I honestly have no idea where you get so much energy. Have you been smuggling skooma or something?"

"Even if I was, I'd still be cooler than you."

We argued from The Grey Mare to our house by the Great Oak. "You know, just because I don't like to whack things with a sword all day long doesn't mean I'm not fun!" Redoras cried as we reached the gate. I had called him a stuck-up pig who never let me have any fun. It was immature of me, but his "better than thou" speech was getting old.

"Redoras is right." a familiar voice remarked behind us. "Hitting things with spells can be just as much fun as hitting things with swords." We both turned to see our Aunt Alanna grinning at us.

"Aunt Alanna!" I cried, hugging her tightly. She hugged me back, rocking us back and forth.

"Hello, Raven dear." she said when she let me go. "Redoras, come here and give me a hug."

Redoras went reluctantly into her embrace, awkwardly hugging her. He wasn't really into getting close to people. He let go of her quickly, then shuffled out of her reach.

"Let's go inside." he suggested. "Mama will want to know you're here."

"Mama, Aunt Alanna's here!" I cried as I bounced into the house.

"What?" my mother asked, coming into our sitting room. She smiled when she saw Alanna. "Alanna, what a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting another visit for several weeks." Alanna travels a lot for her various duties, and doesn't come to Chorrol very often.

"I was pleasantly surprised by a lack of things to do." Alanna replied. "So, I decided to come visit."

"You are always welcome under my roof, Alanna." my mother said. She turned to Redoras. "Redoras, Athragar stopped by and said that he wants to know your progress on your paper."

Redoras' eyes widened. "I need to work on that." he said, and dashed up the stairs. I assumed he was going to his bedroom.

"And Raven, you are a mess." My mother's eyes were stern. "I want you to go upstairs and clean yourself up before you leave the house again."

"Yes, Mama." I said, going to the stairs.

As I entered my bedroom, my eyes caught a flicker of pale bluish light beside my bed. I stopped, staring at the spot. Lately I had been seeing such things a lot. Just last week, I could have sworn I saw the ghost of a man by The Great Oak, and again in the Fighters Guild practice yard. It worried me a little.

When the flicker of light didn't return, I went over to my mirror. My reflection stared back at me, and I saw that my mother was right: I was a mess. I grabbed my hairbrush, attempting to put my ebony hair in some semblance of order. I winced as the movement of my arm pulled at the new scar on my side, the result of not paying enough attention while sparring. Gritting my teeth, I continued brushing my hair, reminding myself that the pain was my punishment for inattentiveness.

When I was done brushing my hair, I went across the hall to Redoras' room. He was sitting at his desk, writing furiously.

"So, a paper for Athragar?" I asked, coming in uninvited and sprawling out across his bed.

He looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have a bed of your own?"

"Yours is more comfortable." I replied. "Athragar...isn't he the Bosmer who teaches Alteration at the Mages Guild? I didn't know you were interested in Alteration."

"Maybe you would know, if you weren't hacking at things with that sword of yours all day." he said, turning back to his paper. "Yes, I am interested in Alteration magic. From what I understand, it isn't a magic school that is commonly studied by Dunmer."

"That's because we like Destruction and Illusion." Alanna said, showing up in the doorway. She looked down at me, raising an eyebrow. "I'd ask why you're on your brother's bed, but I'm assuming it's just to annoy him. Anyway, Raven dearest, you are long overdue for a fighting assessment. Grab a leather cuirass and your sparring weapons and be at the Fighters Guild practice field in five minutes." She disappeared from the doorway.

"Ah, fighting assessments." Redoras remarked dryly, not looking up from his paper. "I might come over to watch Aunt Alanna pummel you."

"After she pummels me, I'll pummel you." I said as I swung off of his bed. I smacked him lightly on the head as I left the room.

Back in my room, I dug in my wardrobe until I found my sparring equipment. It was all plain, but good quality; I never skimp on my equipment. I donned my leather sparring cuirass and grabbed my bow, quiver, and sword. From previous assessments, I knew that I would be tested on my skill with unarmed combat, archery, and sword combat. After making sure nothing was in disrepair, I headed downstairs.

My mother was in the sitting room when I came stomping down the steps. "There's my warrior." she said, smiling. "Seeing you, I still can't believe we ever tried making you a mage." When I was younger, my parents had tried to teach Redoras swordplay, and I magic. After years of complaining, whining, and finally getting taught in secret, they realized that they had us switched.

"I'm still a decent mage." I said, creating a fireball in my palm. "More than Redoras can say for swordplay."

"Don't make fun of your brother." my mother scolded. "And put that out before you catch something on fire."

"Yes, Mama." I said, extinguishing the fireball. "I'm going over to the Fighters Guild. Apparently it's assessment time."

"So I gathered." she said, smiling. "I'll stop by to see your progress. And while you're at the Guild hall, tell Modryn he's welcome to come to dinner."

"Okay." I said. "What's for dinner tonight?"

"I'm just going to whip up a quick soup." she replied. "I didn't have enough warning to make shepherd's pie."

I laughed. Almost every time Alanna came over, my mother made shepherd's pie. Alanna always said that it was food for the gods. Admittedly, Mama's shepherd's pie was pretty amazing, but I'm honest enough to admit that I'm biased.

"Good luck on your assessment!" my mother called as I left the house.


	3. Chapter 2: An Assessment

**(A/N) ****I'd personally like to dedicate this chapter to Tamora Pierce, whose Song of the Lioness quartet taught me literally EVERYTHING I know about swordfighting. As you will soon see, that still isn't much. Enjoy!**

The Fighters' Guild hall was only two doors away from my house. I made it there quickly, going around to the back practice field rather than going through the building. Knowing me, I would probably be distracted by one of my Guildmates, and then Alanna would be annoyed.

I was greeted in the practice field by Kurz gro-Baroth, one of my Guild brothers. "How are you today, Kurz?" I asked him.

"Well, I could always be worse." he replied, leaning against one of the poles on the back porch of the Guild hall. "And probably will be." Kurz has always been pessimistic. I think it's one of his charms. "I saw Alanna earlier. I'm assuming you're here for an assessment?" I nodded. "Good luck. You're gonna need it."

I didn't have time to reply to that, because the back door opened and Alanna came out, followed by the Fighters' Guild Champion, Modryn Oreyn. "Are you ready, Raven?" she asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I replied, smiling at her.

"Fair enough. You know the drill. Unarmed, archery, swords. Get yourself ready."

I took off my sword belt and quiver, giving them to Kurz, who offered to hold them for me. Going out into the practice yard, I began to warm up; making sure my entire body was limber and flexible. Alanna joined me after a moment, doing her own warm-up. A small crowd had already begun to gather, as I had expected. Almost the entire city turns out to see Alanna spar.

Modryn called from the porch, "Are you ready to start?"

"Yes, sir!" I replied, saluting him.

"Yes, Modryn." Alanna chimed in, adding a salute of her own.

"All right, you know the drill. First one to knock the other over is victor, unless I decide otherwise. Begin!"

Alanna started as soon as Modryn gave the order, swinging right for my face. I hurriedly dodged it and tried to land a blow on her chest, but she blocked it. We traded punches back and forth, neither of us gaining the upper hand.

Alanna wasn't a master of unarmed combat, but she had been trained by the masters. She was always a formidable opponent. I only had one advantage over her: I was ambidextrous. Alanna relied heavily on her right arm, while I was comfortable with both arms. I was also shorter, and could more easily dodge her higher blows.

But that could also be turned into a weakness. I had aimed a blow high, and Alanna moved back to avoid it. But now I was unprotected, off-balance, and at the mercy of her longer armspan. So I twisted around her, the punch that was intended for my face going harmlessly past me. I landed a wicked punch to her left side, and she dropped like a stone.

The crowd that had formed around us went dead silent. Alanna was holding her side, and a small grunt of pain escaped her lips. "That was a good punch." she told me, her voice a little breathless.

The crowd stayed quiet for a second, but then somebody cheered. That was all it took. Everybody in the crowd started cheering, calling my name. I saw money changing hands, and grinned at the thought that somebody had actually bet on me.

I went over to Alanna and helped her up. "Excellent work, Raven." she said, smiling proudly. "I would never have expected that."

"Do you want me to heal you?" I asked, worried about how bad I'd hurt her. Alanna didn't show pain easily.

"No, I've got it." she replied. "Go get your bow."

I went back to the porch, looking for Kurz. He was nowhere to be found. Instead, Redoras was giving me a pleased smile as he walked up with my equipment. "Kurz said I could hold your weapons." he said in explanation. "Good job, Raven."

"Thanks." I said as I grabbed my bow and quiver. As I walked back out to the practice yard, I saw another flicker of light. I gritted my teeth and ignored it. I wasn't letting any hallucinations mess with my concentration.

My goal with the archery assessment was to shoot at the three targets in a random order, emptying my quiver within one minute. Obviously, my aim was supposed to be the center, but Alanna also took the innermost ring as a pass. I strung my bow, flexing it a few times to make sure it was good and limber, then slid my quiver over my shoulder. I looked at Modryn and nodded once to signal my readiness.

"You know what to do, Raven." he said. "Begin!"

My hand went to my quiver, selecting an arrow, putting it to the string, aiming, and firing within two seconds. I didn't look to see where it ended up, but automatically swung to a different target, my hand already going for my quiver. I shot arrow after arrow, not caring where they landed, randomly choosing another target even while the last one was still in the air.

Eventually, when my hand went to my quiver, it was empty. I had shot all twenty-four of my arrows. I lowered my bow and signaled to Modryn that I was finished.

"Forty-six seconds!" Modryn called to me, nodding in approval. I was impressed. It wasn't my fastest time, but it was still decent.

Alanna made her way down to the targets to look at my aim. "All twenty-four in the inner ring, ten in the center itself!" she called up to us. That was a new personal best.

Alanna tugged the arrows out of the targets and brought them up to me. I took them from her and replaced them in my quiver, then unstrung the bow and walked back to the porch amidst the cheering of the crowd.

I quickly switched Redoras my bow and quiver for my sword. "Prepare to be pummeled." he muttered in my ear. He was right. Alanna was a master of the sword, who had never been defeated. I already knew I was going to lose.

I moved back to the practice yard, where Alanna already had her sword. "You both know what to do." Modryn said, sounding a little bored. "Disarm, first blood, whenever I say so, blah blah blah, are you ready?"

"Yes, sir!" Alanna and I said together, saluting him with our swords. We turned and saluted each other, then stood ready, waiting for Modryn's signal.

"Begin."

Alanna was a blur of motion, pushing me back almost immediately. Her sword was a silver streak, always meeting mine when I tried to attack. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break through her defense. I found myself trying desperately to fend her off, knowing that no matter how hard I tried, I was not going to win this.

But my goal was not to win. I was supposed to be showing Aunt Alanna what I had learned in her absence. As she sent her sword arcing towards my face, I blocked it, and then quickly twisted my sword so our hilts were locked. The purpose of this move was to use your strength to push your opponent to the ground. It was a stupid move for me to try, since Alanna was stronger than me and we both knew it. But I pushed anyway, and when it became clear I wouldn't win, I disengaged and attacked before she could recover. She blocked quickly, and the pattern resumed.

I managed to hold my own for a while after that, but Alanna soon restated her dominance. She began to attack me repeatedly, giving me no time to react. I tried blocking, but she twisted her sword so I had no choice but to let go or have my wrist broken. My sword went flying out of my hand.

The crowd went wild, everybody screaming Alanna's name. She ignored them, instead offering her hand for me to shake. "Excellent work, Raven, absolutely excellent." she said, smiling proudly. "I thought you had me there for a second. You've obviously been learning a lot while my back was turned. You have passed this assessment."


	4. Chapter 3: Dinner, and A Proposal

Back at my house, I changed out of my sweaty armor and sharpened my sword. My mother came into my room to give me a hug and congratulate me on my success. "You did very well, dear. Your father would be so proud of you."

"I like to think he would be." I said, smiling sadly. My father had opposed combat training for me at first, leaving me to study magic while he taught Redoras how to fight. When he finally relented and began to teach me the sword, he was amazed by my seemingly natural talent. I could still remember him now, boasting to his friend Batul gra-Sharob of my skill.

"She'll make an amazing warrior, that's for sure." he had said, placing a hand on my shoulder and grinning at me. I had been eight years old at the time, proud of my accomplishments and my father's approval.

I sighed as I sharpened my sword. My life's goal at that point was to be one of Count Goldwine's bodyguards, like my father had been. That dream was gone now, as well as everything concerning Kvatch. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I was nineteen, still living in Chorrol with my mother and brother. I made money by doing Fighters Guild contracts, but only the ones close to home. Since we had moved to Chorrol, my longest trip outside had lasted three days.

I finished sharpening my sword and put it away, trying to ignore the flickering blue light beside my bed. These hallucinations were starting to get annoying. I knew I should probably talk to someone about them, but I didn't want anyone to think I had gone mad. I pushed the thoughts away and settled onto my bed with a book.

Alanna came in soon after I started to read. "Can I come in?" she asked, smiling.

"Sure." I said, moving so she could sit on my bed. "What's up, Aunt Alanna?"

"Oh, nothing, really. I was just wondering where you ran off to." she replied. "Did you not want Redoras to learn that you know how to read?" Redoras often teased me by calling me an illiterate barbarian.

"No, I was just being antisocial." I said.

"I know the feeling." she said, smiling. "What are you reading?"

"_The Last King of the Ayleids_." I replied, smiling. "I miss Herminia."

"When last I saw her, she spoke of you." Alanna said. "I think she misses you as well, though she's far too proud to admit attachment to anything other than her research. I think she liked having you and Redoras around."

"Even though we were always underfoot." I said, chuckling. "I wonder if she's made any progress with her goal of examining Nenalata." Nenalata was an Ayleid ruin that was supposedly the resting place of their last king, and the main focus of Herminia's research.

"I have no idea." Alanna said. "She asked me to go there, once. I very politely declined. No matter what knowledge we can gain from it, I will not go anywhere near it."

"I don't blame you at all." Redoras remarked, leaning in the doorway. "I wouldn't go near an Ayleid ruin if my life depended on it."

"Yes, the undead are rather disturbing," I said, "but that's no reason to completely stay away from them. Think of what we could learn, with a proper examination of the ruins. Herminia is right. Once the Empire is under control again, we should have proper scientific excavations of the Ayleid ruins."

"And that, Raven dear, is why I believe you are so much braver than I." Alanna said, smiling at me. She shuddered a little, and her voice grew distant. "I've fought daedra and Daedric Princes, I've explored realms of Oblivion and dreams that are even worse, and what do I fear more than anything? Zombies. After all the horror I've seen in my life, I'm scared stiff of a walking corpse." She shook her head. "The mind is such a confusing thing."

"We all knew that." Redoras said. "Anyway, I was told to come tell you two that it's time for dinner. Modryn's already here."

"All right." I said, setting the book down. "Let's go."

We thundered down the steps together, and I nearly crashed into Modryn Oreyn himself. "Whoa there, Llervu." he said, placing a hand on my shoulder to steady me. "Watch where you're going next time."

"Sorry, Modryn." I said, smiling sheepishly up at him. We went into the dining room together. I took my usual seat, with my mother on one side of me and Alanna on the other.

"I apologize if it isn't very good." my mother said. "I was running a little late, so it was rushed."

Alanna peered into her soup, moving ingredients around with her spoon. I smiled, knowing what she was about to do. Sure enough, she began to list the ingredients of the soup. "Mutton, carrots, leeks, potatoes, garlic, summer bolete cap, and... are those viper's bugloss leaves?"

"Very good, Alanna." my mother said, smiling. She had probably added them just so Alanna would have to think about it. "You always manage to guess even my most difficult ingredients."

"I'm an alchemist." she said, chuckling. "It's what I do."

"This soup is amazing, Monesi." Modryn said. I tasted mine, and had to agree. My mother was the best cook in Chorrol. I could try to make this soup, follow each instruction perfectly, and it still wouldn't turn out as good as my mother's. She was amazing.

"Thank you, Modryn." she replied, smiling. "I'm glad it turned out okay. I was very rushed when I prepared it."

"Mama, your cooking is always good." Redoras said. "I want to know how you manage to make food like this. Raven and I both know it isn't hereditary." We both grinned. We had once tried to make shepherd's pie with our mother's recipe, and it had turned out awful.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." my mother said, smiling at Redoras. "I just cook. And the shepherd's pie wasn't that bad."

"We nearly burned the house down, and it tasted kind of like how I imagined zombie flesh would taste." I said, raising an eyebrow. Redoras nodded vigorously in agreement.

Alanna chuckled. "Well, I've never tried to taste mort flesh before, but I do know that it's good for poisons." she remarked.

We chatted about different types of ingredients for a while, and Modryn surprised everyone by actually being able to contribute to the conversation. "When you go on a cross-country trip with that one," he explained, gesturing to Alanna, "you get to learn a little about wild ingredients. Whether you want to or not." Alanna chuckled.

When I finished, I excused myself from the table and went back up to my bedroom. I settled back onto my bed with _The Last King of the Ayleids_, determined to get at least a little of it finished. I heard Redoras go into his room, but we didn't disturb each other. He was probably writing that paper for Athragar.

"Raven?" I looked up to see Alanna in my doorway again. "Do you realize how late it is?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No." I said, looking at my candle. It was lower than I had thought. "I was engrossed in the book, sorry."

"It's all right." she said. "May I come in?"

"Be my guest." I said. She came in and sat on my bed. She wasn't smiling, which was odd for her. She usually had a smile on her face, making a joke or a witty remark. Without the smile, the familiar haunted look in her purple-red eyes was more pronounced. Alanna had seen some awful things in her life, and it showed in her eyes.

"Raven, I know my visit today was a surprise." she said, looking at me with those shadowy eyes. "Although I do love visiting you and Redoras, I actually came with a serious purpose.

"The Elder Council has decided to give me an assignment. I am to travel around Cyrodiil, creating a new map of the province. I thought that you might like to join me." She smiled at my delighted expression. "I know you've been waiting for a chance to get out of Chorrol. I've already spoken to your mother. She wasn't happy, but she agreed that it was your choice."

"A chance to explore all of Cyrodiil...it would be the adventure of a lifetime!" I exclaimed, a wide grin stretching across my face. "I'd love to go!"

"I'm glad." Alanna replied. "I wasn't sure if I was going to ask, but your assessment today convinced me. I have no doubt that you will be able to handle yourself in any fights we might get into."

"When are we leaving?" I asked.

"Such enthusiasm!" She chuckled. "I was planning to leave two days from now. We could leave in the afternoon, stay the night at Battlehorn Castle, and begin the journey from there."

"All right." I said. "I can't wait!"

"I can tell." she replied with a smile. "For right now, though, you should probably get some sleep. It is getting late."

"Okay." I said. I gave her a hug. "Thank you, Aunt Alanna." I said, grinning.

"You're welcome, Raven dear." she replied, hugging me back. "Good night." She stood up and left my room.

I quickly readied myself for bed, extinguishing the candle and ignoring the flicker of pale blue light by the door. Getting into bed, I let my thoughts run wild. A chance to explore Cyrodiil with the Hero of Kvatch was a chance that few people would turn down. It would be a fun trip, but it would also be work. Cyrodiil was a wild, dangerous land, filled with wild animals and hostile humans. I fell asleep with a smile on my face, imagining all of the adventures Alanna and I would have.


	5. Chapter 4: Departure

I was nervous, yet my excitement overrode all other emotions. I was in my room, packing my travelling bag. Alanna and I would be leaving this afternoon.

I had spent the day before making sure all of my gear was up to Alanna's standards. She had inspected my armor as thouroughly as possible, and had been impressed by its quality.

"Who made this?" she asked, holding up my best cuirass.

"Rasheda, over at Fire and Steel." I replied. "I saved my Guild earnings for nearly a year to get this armor made. I trust her work. This armor has saved my life during some crazy Guild missions."

"It's a good piece of work, that's for sure." Alanna said, inspecting the rest of the armor. "I've thought about asking her to make me a set of armor before, but I have too much of it as it is."

My mother, despite her unhappiness at my departure, had decided to give me a parting gift. When I unwrapped it in the sitting room, I began to cry. Nestled in the paper was my father's sword, the only thing my mother could salvage from our home in Kvatch. It still shone brightly, the faint glow of an enchantment surrounding it. Carved into the hilt was his name: _Sarel Llervu_.

"It has an enchantment to burn, shock, and freeze anything it cuts." my mother said, tears coming from her own eyes. "And a Soul Trap, as well, so as long as you have soul gems, you can keep the enchantment charged."

"Thank you, Mama." I said, my voice breaking a little. I traced the runes on the hilt, remembering hours of watching my father practice with this sword. His speed and grace, the sword moving like an extension of his arm. It was watching him that had inspred me to learn the sword, no matter the cost.

Now I was in my room, packing my travelling bag with some extra clothes, my sharpening stones, a few soul gems, and a blank journal I had bought at Northern Goods and Trade. I planned to record everything about this trip, so I could remember it when I got older. It was certainly going to be the adventure of a lifetime.

I finished packing, satisfied with how light the bag was. We were going to be trekking all over the province, so we had to travel light. I smiled and set the bag down, then went downstairs.

My mother, Redoras, and Alanna were sitting in the dining room. "Are you finished packing, Raven?" Alanna asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"I have a present for you!" Redoras said excitedly, standing up. He grabbed a box off the table and handed it to me proudly.

"Do I want to know what this is?" I asked jokingly as I opened the box. When I saw the contents, however, my jaw dropped. "Redoras..." I breathed, lifting the amulet from the box. It was heavily enchanted, and when I inspected it closer, I realized that it would shield me from both physical and magical attacks.

"I'm assuming by the look on your face that you like it." Redoras said happily. "Between your skill, Alanna's skill, and that amulet, you should be pretty much invincibe."

I hugged Redoras tightly. "I love it." I said, holding back tears. "Thank you, Redoras."

"Your welcome." he said. "Put it on."

I slipped the amulet over my head, moving my horsetail out of the way. "Does Teekeeus know you can enchant like that?" Alanna asked. "You'd find yourself at the Arcane University before you can blink."

"He knows." Redoras said. "He considered sending me to the Imperial City, but then Athragar expressed his interest in teaching me about Alteration. I'm here until Athragar's through with me."

"Well, Raminus will pray that Athragar teaches you quickly." Alanna said, smiling. "Raven, it's time to go."

"All right." I said. I went back upstairs to fetch my bag and my sword. Stopping in the doorway of my room, I looked inside one last time. I wouldn't return to this room for months, probably.

I went back downstairs, where Alanna was waiting by the door. My mother hugged me tightly. "I'll miss you, Raven." she said. "Stay safe."

"I'll miss you too, Mama." I replied. I turned to Redoras. "You be careful when Athragar's teaching you." I said. "I don't want to come back to find my favorite punching bag damaged by some spell."

"Love you too, Raven." he said, rolling his eyes. "You be careful, too."

"Are you ready, Raven?" Alanna asked, a small smile on her face.

"Yes." I replied.

"Then let's go." We left the house, and I stopped for a second as I saw something by the Great Oak. Another ghost, only this time it wasn't a man. It was a young woman, a girl, really, with long hair and a big smile on her face. She waved in my direction, then disappeared.

"Raven, are you all right?" Alanna asked.

I shook myself. "Yes." I replied. "Let's go."

We walked through Chorrol quietly, and I kept my eyes open for another sighting of the ghost girl. It had seemed like she was waving at me. As if she had known I could see her. That worried me.

As we reached the South Gate, the guard saluted Alanna. "Champion." he said. "I wish you luck on your journey. Go with Akatosh."

"Thank you, sir." Alanna replied. She looked a little pained by his greeting. I wondered why.

As we passed through the South Gate, I felt my excitement rise. We had officially begun our journey. I was sure it was going to be the trip of a lifetime.

* * *

**(A/N) So, Redoras shouldn't be able to enchant amulets, but he can anyway. Why is that? Well, it's because this is fanfiction, and I love tweaking rules.**


	6. Chapter 5: Castles and Ghosts

I collapsed on the bed in Aunt Alanna's quarters at Battlehorn Castle, grinning. Alanna was also smiling, sitting on a chair and sharpening her sword.

"You held your own very well against Shagrol." she said, looking at me over her sword. Shagrol gro-Uzug, the weapons master at Battlehorn Castle, had invited me to spar with him in the basement training room. I had accepted, of course, and surprised everyone by beating him in a swordfight. "Well done."

"Thanks, Aunt Alanna." I said, sitting up on the bed. "I'm still trying to wrap my brain around you being the owner of the castle." Any time one of the castle staff saw Alanna, they'd bow and say "Greetings, my lady". It had taken me a moment to realize that she was the lady of the castle.

"I thought I told you." she said. "Forgive me, I'm a bit scatterbrained."

I chuckled. "This is a nice place." I said, looking over the large room I was in. Alanna's room was huge, and this was just the bedroom part of it. She also had a small library, a study area with a giant desk, and her own private dining area.

My eyes caught a piece of shiny armor set down on a dresser. I hopped off the bed and went to look at it, wondering what it was. It was a cuirass, far fancier than anything I would ever wear, with elaborate gilded patterns and a glow of enchantment.

"Ah, you've found the bane of my existence." Alanna said, and I turned to see that she was right behind me. She was glaring at the cuirass, like there was nothing she wanted more than to destroy it. "Imperial Dragon armor, usually worn only by the Emperor himself. But, as there is no Emperor, the Champion of Cyrodiil got stuck with it." Her voice was full of contempt, and sadness. "I've never worn it. The rest of the armor is in the top drawer. I just keep the cuirass out, to remind me of my biggest failure." She turned and walked back to her chair, continuing to sharpen her sword.

I looked back at the cuirass, feeling a little sorry for Alanna. She didn't like to talk about what happened the day the Oblivion Crisis ended. She hated it when people called her the "Champion of Cyrodiil". She refused to answer questions about that day, and she told me she hasn't gone near the Temple of the One since then. It was a painful memory for her, even ten years later.

Rona, Alanna's maid, came into the room. "Do either of you need anything?" she asked, looking between Alanna and me.

"We'll be going to the East Wing for dinner shortly." Alanna said, not looking up from her sword. Her manner struck me as a little rude.

"I don't need anything, thank you." I said, smiling at Rona. She smiled back, then left, throwing a concerned glance at Alanna.

Alanna put her sword down, sighing. "Let's go to dinner." she said, standing up. I followed her out of her private quarters and down to the East Wing.

The food at Battlehorn Castle wasn't as good as my mother's, but it was still pretty tasty. We sat with the castle staff, laughing and talking. Shagrol gro-Uzug showered me with compliments on my fighting skill and demanded to know who had taught me. I said that my father had taught me the basics, and Alanna had been teaching me since our move to Chorrol.

"Ah, if my lady's been teaching you, that would explain your skill." he said, grinning proudly at Alanna. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was born with a sword in her hand."

"I would grieve for my poor mother." Alanna remarked, smiling back. It didn't reach her eyes, though, which were still haunted with anger and sadness. She was picking at her food, not really eating much. I frowned, wondering what was on her mind.

After dinner, Alanna and I went back up to her quarters. "You should probably get some sleep, Raven." Alanna said, gesturing to the bed. "I want us  
to start at dawn tomorrow."

"Where will you sleep?" I asked. There was only one bed, and it didn't look big enough for both of us.

"I don't need to sleep all that often." she said simply. "I usually sleep about once a month. That's all that I need."

"How do you manage that?" I asked.

"I don't know." she replied, shrugging. "I just don't get tired. It's probably not good for my health, but it is useful, as busy as I usually am. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'll be patrolling the walls tonight if you need me."

"Um, all right." I said.

Alanna smiled, the shadows in her eyes dimming for a moment. "Good night, Raven dear." she said, hugging me.

"Good night, Aunt Alanna." I replied, hugging her back. She smiled and left the room.

I got myself ready for bed, noticing that the flickering light was back. It was the first time I had seen it since I left Chorrol. I eyed the light warily, but it just flickered a few times and disappeared. No ghosts.

As I got into bed, Rona came into the room. "Good night, Miss Llervu." she said, curtseying and going to extinguish the lights.

"Good night, Rona." I replied.

After Rona left, I lay in bed for a while, but sleep eluded me. My thoughts were of Alanna, and how she was haunted by the memories of her past. If I were her, I wouldn't want to sleep, for fear of the nightmares that her violent memories must bring. I fell asleep to these troubling thoughts.

* * *

I was woken up by what sounded like high-pitched giggling. I sat up, still half-asleep, and was greeted by the sight of a ghostly figure sitting on the end of the bed.

I gasped, wide awake now. It was the same ghost girl that I had seen when I left Chorrol. Now that I could see her up close, I noticed that she was a Bosmer, with a heart-shaped face framed by long curly hair and big eyes that were currently amused. She was smiling at me, like I had just told a funny joke.

"You talk in your sleep." she said, giggling.

"Who are you?" I asked, still shocked by her appearance. The one still-sane part of my mind was screaming _Don't talk to her,_ but it was a tiny part.

"Oh, I'm Amyath." she replied, still smiling at me. "And you're Raven Llervu. I've been trying to get you to notice me for weeks now."

"What? Why?"

"I think you're interesting. And you're one of the few people who actually see me. Not many people do." She sighed, the amusement leaving her face. "One of the downsides to being a ghost is the lack of company. I've always enjoyed talking. But when people don't know you're there, it makes conversation rather difficult." She looked up at me and smiled. "Redoras is your brother, right? You tease him even in your sleep."

Redoras often teased me about my sleep-talking. My mother had told me that I could win an argument with him even if I was out cold. She thought it was hilarious.

The ghost -Amyath- eyed me curiously. "You're on a trip around Cyrodiil, right? With the lady everyone calls 'Champion'. It must be fun."

"We haven't really started yet." I admitted. "Once we leave here in the morning, the trip will be officially started."

"Oh, it will be ever so much fun!" Amyath said, grinning. "I'll come with you. We'll become the best of friends, I know it!"

"Um, yeah." I said. The last sane part of my mind was running away screaming. I was fairly certain I was going completely mad.


	7. Chapter 6: Walking, Imps, and Alchemy

We had been walking for a little over an hour, and if I hadn't already been sure I was completely insane, I would say my undead follower was driving me crazy.

Alanna had woken me up before dawn, as promised. Amyath started chattering at me as soon as she saw my eyes open, talking about how it was going to be a lovely day, and we were going to have such fun. I had donned my armor with a clenched jaw, answering her excited questions with one-word answers. She seemed oblivious to my irritation, smiling and asking me if I was all right when I tripped over a stray boot.

Alanna and I had eaten a quick breakfast, and I debated telling her about Amyath. I didn't want her to call off the trip because of my hallucination, but I really felt like I should tell her. "Aunt Alanna..." I began, unsure of exactly what to say.

"Do you want to head north or south first?" Alanna asked. She didn't look to be in a good mood.

"Um...south?" I suggested, my uncertainty turning the answer into another question.

"South it is." she said. "Let's go."

So we began the trip going south. Alanna used her personal map as a guide, muttering darkly under her breath. I heard the name "Ocato" mentioned a few times, as well as some insults that would have gotten me in serious trouble had I said them back home.

"Why are you upset with Chancellor Ocato?" I asked her, interrupting Amyath's chattering about different types of flowers. She glowered at me before turning her gaze to look expectantly at Alanna.

"I'm upset because he made this trip necessary." Alanna replied. "I told him that I keep my map completely up-to-date, and he could use it as a reference for the new official map. But no, the stubborn man wants me to make a whole new trip." She sighed. "It's not that I don't want to take this trip, Raven. I've wanted to take you with me on a trip for a while. It's just...I have so many things to do already, and the Elder Council decides to dump this on me." She shook her head. "They delight in having the Champion do these things." She spat her title out like an insult.

"I feel bad for her." Amyath announced. "She clearly doesn't like being the 'Champion', as they call her. I wonder why."

"We don't talk about it." I muttered under my breath, low enough that Alanna couldn't hear. "I'll explain later."

Alanna and I walked in silence. Amyath chatted about different plants in the Great Forest, pointing them out excitedly. She must have had an interest in plants during her life. I figured I would ask her about it that night.

We reached a cave entrance, which Alanna said belonged to Wind Cave. I wrote the name down on a sheet of paper Alanna had given me, while she made the appropriate mark on the map.

"Oh, look, motherwort!" Amyath exclaimed, kneeling in front of a motherwort plant. "Used widely in mixes that increase resistance to poison. This is a lovely specimen."

I didn't have time to reply, because Alanna suddenly grabbed her bow and nocked an arrow, aiming for something in the distance. I heard the shrieks of imps as they caught sight of us, and swore under my breath. Lighting a fireball in one hand and a lightning bolt in the other, I hurled them at the small flying creatures, who immediately began to throw fireballs back at me. There were four of them, shrieking and charging fireballs in their tiny hands.

Alanna's arrow caught one of them in the throat, and it tumbled in the air before falling to the ground. I shocked another with lightning, and hit the third with another fireball. The last one shrieked defiance and began to attack Alanna's face, kicking her with its little feet. I hit it with a frost spell, and it turned to me, letting Alanna finish it off with a close-range fireball.

"Thanks for getting it out of my face, Raven." Alanna said, healing a small scratch on her face. "Did you get hit with any of those fireballs?"

I quickly checked myself, looking for burns. "No, I'm good." I replied. I glared at the four little bodies on the ground. "I hate imps. Such pesky creatures."

"Their galls are good for potions, though." Amyath remarked. She was inspecting one of the imps, poking it with a ghostly finger. "Especially the rare poisons that can cause someone to catch on fire." She giggled.

Great. My ghostly hallucination was a poison-maker.

"Let's keep going." Alanna said.

We kept walking, passing several more caves and a small farm. Amyath continued talking about plants and their uses in different potions. I found myself listening to her, and looking at the plants in a whole new way. I had never had an interest in alchemy, never caring to know how to make potions and poisons. Listening to Amyath, I found my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Hey, Aunt Alanna, will you teach me about alchemy sometime?" I asked. Amyath grinned like this was her goal all along.

Alanna smiled as well. "Of course, Raven. I would be glad to teach you." A gleam of excitement came into her eyes. "You know how much I love alchemy."

Amyath giggled. "I got her to smile!" she said triumphantly. "Well, technically, you got her to smile, but I'm the one who made you curious." I looked over at her and saw that she was skipping beside me, a wide grin on her face.

"What are you looking at, Raven?" Alanna asked me, peering in the direction I was facing. She gave no sign of seeing Amyath. "I don't see anything that could catch your interest."

"Um, it's nothing." I said, quickly looking ahead of me again. I heard a low giggle from Amyath, and scowled.

"As you say." Alanna said, raising her eyebrows.

I felt bad for lying to her. Alanna was the one person I could truly relate to, the only one who understood exactly who I was and what I did. I couldn't get that from either my mother or Redoras, or anyone else in my life. Alanna understood me as I was: a warrior, a mage, an adventuring spirit. She knew me better than anyone, better even than Redoras in some ways. I didn't like to keep things from her.

Amyath seemed to read my thoughts. "Tell her." she suggested, ignoring my raised eyebrows. "Trust me, she'll understand. She's madder than you think." She winked at me.

I shrugged uncomfortably. As much as I wanted to tell Alanna about my hallucinations, I didn't want her to react badly. The last thing I wanted was for her to send me home because she didn't see me fit to travel.

Alanna and I traveled in near-silence for the rest of the day, stopping only to write locations down on the map. Amyath darted through the trees, an elated smile on her face. "I love trees." she said to me when she came running back. "It's just so pretty here!" She ran off again.

I followed her with my eyes, watching her pale blue form skip through the forest. Hearing Alanna stumble beside me, I looked to see her frowning at me.

We set up camp after the sun had set, using the light of the moons to see in the dark. I set up a fire while Alanna went off into the woods, presumably to hunt. Once the fire was lit, I sat down on my bedroll and began to sharpen my sword.

Amyath came and sat beside me, eyeing my sword with curiosity. "That's a pretty sword." she said, smiling. "Is it elven?"

"Yes." I answered quietly, not taking my eyes from the sword. "It belonged to my father."

"'Belonged'?" she asked, noting the past tense.

"Yes, belonged. My father died. Almost eleven years ago, now, in the siege of Kvatch." I blinked to hold back my tears. My father was still a sore subject for me to discuss, even after all this time.

"Oh, I'm sorry." she said awkwardly. I felt a cold sensation on my shoulder, and looked to see that she had placed her ghostly hand on it. She gave me an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's all right." I said, holding my tears back and trying to smile back at her. "It's not your fault."

She nodded, and I turned back to my sword. "I said that I would explain to you why Alanna doesn't like being the Champion." I said, trying to change the subject. "She earned the title by helping Martin Septim stop the Oblivion Crisis. She worked for a long time to undermine the Mythic Dawn and Mehrunes Dagon's power in Tamriel. In the end, Martin had to sacrifice himself to cast the Daedra back into Oblivion. His death...it really hurt Alanna. She tries to shrug it off, but I can tell. She doesn't like to talk about it, and when she does, she refers to it as 'her greatest failure'. She hates being the Champion."

Amyath sat in thought for a moment before lifting her gaze to mine. "It reminds her of those memories. She sees ghosts, too, but not ghosts like me. Her memories haunt her, tormenting her. I don't blame her for being afraid to sleep."

"They do haunt her." I agreed. "It's easy to tell. We don't talk about it, though. I don't like to remind her of those memories."

"As I thought." I heard Alanna say. I whipped my head up to see her standing across the small clearing. She looked...amused, almost. "I figured that's what it was, but I had to be sure." she said, giving me a smug smile. She walked across the clearing, stopping in front of me and looking at me expectantly. "So, when did you start seeing ghosts, Raven?"


	8. Chapter 7: Acceptance

**(A/N) Sorry for the uber-short chapter, guys. My muses have been difficult lately. Something about how the cookies I bribe them with aren't good enough... Anyway, enjoy the short chapter.**

* * *

"W-what?" I stammered.

"Oh, Raven dear, don't try to deny it." Alanna said cheerfully, making sitting down in front of me. "You've been acting strangely all day. Listening to things that aren't there, looking at things that aren't there...my dear, you are an open book." She grinned at my baffled expression. "Who do you see?" she asked.

"I told you so." Amyath sang, winking when I glared at her. She giggled.

"It's all right, Raven." Alanna said. "I understand why you didn't want to tell me. Who would want to admit such a thing? But I honestly don't have a problem with it." She smiled reassuringly. "Who do you see?"

"I see a Bosmer girl named Amyath." I replied, bowing my head. I glanced at Amyath, who was grinning like a maniac. "She likes alchemy, and talks _a lot_."

"Most Bosmer are very chatty." Alanna said, grinning in Amyath's direction. "How long have you been able to see her?"

"I've been seeing flashes of light for weeks." I mumbled. "I'm pretty sure I saw another ghost, a man, last week. I first saw her yesterday, and she started talking to me last night."

"So this is relatively new." Alanna said, and I looked up to see that she was nodding to herself. "Well, if my opinion means anything, I'm pretty sure you aren't mad. Which is a shame, really. You would make a lovely follower of Sheogorath. But I think you're sane enough to continue travelling with me." She looked at me. "That is what you were worried about, wasn't it?" I nodded. "Well, you don't need to worry anymore. Maybe the gods have a task for you, and your new friend is part of it." She looked in Amyath's direction. "I'm sorry that I can't see you, Miss Amyath, but hopefully you have something worthwhile to teach my niece."

"Oh, I can teach you all sorts of things!" Amyath exclaimed, grinning at me. "I can teach you about alchemy, and cooking, and archery, and climbing..." She chattered on and on about all the different things she could teach me, ignoring the irritated look on my face.

Alanna chuckled. "This will certainly be an interesting trip." she said with a smile.


	9. Chapter 8: The Land's Secrets

**(A/N) Another short chapter. I switched my muse-bribing cookie recipe, so they might come back to me. Oh, and if any of my readers are Star Wars nerds, you guys will get a plateful of virtual cookies if you recognize my not-very-hidden quote :)**

* * *

The next few days formed a sort of pattern. I would wake up at dawn and prepare for the walk of the day, Amyath commenting on different things as I got ready. Alanna and I would eat a quick breakfast before breaking up camp, packing everything neatly away in our packs. We began our day's walk before the sun had fully risen.

We found many different landmarks to put on the map. Old forts, Ayleid ruins, remains of old Oblivion Gates, all of it was marked on my list.

There were some things that Alanna refused to put on the map, though. On the second day of the trip, we found a shrine dedicated to the Daedric Lord Sanguine. The Bosmer who seemed to be in charge greeted Alanna warmly, saying something about how Leyawiin was a little less dreary. I didn't understand what he meant, but Amyath seemed to find it amusing.

"What brings you back to the Lord of Debauchery, my friend?" the Bosmer asked, casting a curious glance at me.

"I'm just passing through." Alanna explained, smiling. "My niece and I are on a trip across Cyrodiil." She looked at me, seeing that I was about to write the location of the shrine on my paper. "Don't write anything, Raven." she said quickly. "These shrines are hidden for a reason, and I don't want them put onto a map."

"Uh, okay." I said, putting the quill down. I understood what she meant. If the priests of the Nine knew where the hidden Daedric shrines were, they would have them destroyed.

"Thank you." the Sanguine worshipper said gratefully. He seemed relieved. I supposed I would be a little nervous too, if I thought someone would reveal the location of my secret haven.

"It's no problem." Alanna replied dismissively. "Although I like to feign ignorance of such things, I do understand tact and protocol."

"You would make a lovely follower of Sanguine." a Khajiit woman remarked from one of the benches by the statue. "You give much life to a party."

"Thanks, Ashni." Alanna said with a grin. "I will definitely consider it." We left not too long after that.

There were other things Alanna wouldn't put on the map. "Cyrodiil must have her own secrets." she explained to me when I asked her why we didn't mark a runestone down. "Daedric shrines, wayshrines of the Nine, runestones and doomstones, they are the land's secrets. If one wants to find them bad enough, they will. But Cyrodiil's secrets must be kept, as a test for those who wish to seek them. Do you understand?"

"I think so." I said, nodding. "Daedric shrines must be kept hidden for their protection, wayshrines should be kept hidden for the pilgrimages, and runestones and doomstones are kept hidden because they are the land's secrets."

"Very good." Alanna said with a smile. "You've taken your first step into a larger world."


	10. Chapter 9: Trolls and Teleportation

**(A/N) I was having a lot of trouble deciding exactly where this story was supposed to go, but my muses finally accepted my bribes of cookies and tea and came back to me. I should be updating a bit more often now that I know where this is going again. I don't make any promises, though.**

* * *

We were somewhere in the West Weald when it happened.

It was the middle of the afternoon. Alanna, Amyath, and I had been discussing the alchemical value of Nirnroot when we heard the sound of trolls calling to each other. "Damn." Alanna spat, loosening her sword in its sheath. "Keep your eyes open, Raven. You know how to kill a troll?"

"Fire." I replied, making sure my own sword could be easily gotten if necessary. "And they're fast, so it's better to get them from a distance." She nodded in approval before crouching down in a patch of tall grass at the top of the hill we were on.

I got down beside her, following her gaze to a group of trolls wandering around in the field below us. They were ugly creatures, with mottled green skin and three eyes. They leaned on their upper limbs as they walked, and called to each other with distinctive, eerie sounds.

"There are at least five down there." Alanna muttered to me. "Probably more." She swore under her breath. "They're too close together to target them individually, and too spread out to take them all out at once."

"They'll kill us if we try to get closer." I murmured. "We'll have to go around them." I didn't think even Alanna could take on five trolls without some heavily armored companions at her back. With only me... we would be destroyed.

"You're right." she said. She grabbed her pack and started digging through it, pulling out a small box. Opening it, she pulled out a ring and handed it to me. "Put that on." she ordered, slipping a similar ring onto her finger. Instantly, she became nearly invisible, only a slight distortion of the light showing where she was. Looking down at my hand, I saw that I was the same way.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Amyath asked. She looked a little worried.

"We can't fight them." I answered her. "We would be killed almost instantly. If we can sneak around them, we won't have to fight."

"Couldn't we just wait until they leave?" she suggested. "They can't stay in that spot forever."

"We could, but we would lose a lot of time." I said. "We'll lose less time by going around."

"Come on, we need to get moving." Alanna said. "Amyath, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't distract Raven for the moment. We need to be able to pay attention to everything." Amyath shut up, but she didn't look happy about it.

Alanna left our hiding spot first, walking low to avoid the sun's light glaring off of her enchantment. I followed, Amyath walking sullenly at my side.

The trolls stayed oblivious to our presence, which was a blessing. But when we were almost clear, a spriggan caught sight of us. Apparently our enchantments didn't hinder her sight, because she shrieked and summoned a bear to attack us. The bear's roaring alerted the trolls, and we were suddenly surrounded.

I swore and tried to reach for my sword, but Alanna stopped me. She wrapped her arms firmly around me, muttering a spell. I felt something pulling on my mind, and heard maniacal laughter as everything around me went dark.

* * *

"Penela, what's wrong with her?" Alanna sounded angry, and concerned.

"I- I don't know, my Lord. Perhaps the spell affected her somehow?" An Imperial woman's voice, sounding scared. I wondered why she was calling Alanna "My Lord".

I tried to move my arm, and grunted in pain. I felt like my entire body had been trampled by a minotaur. Opening my eyes, I looked up into the worried eyes of my aunt.

"Are you all right, Raven?" Amyath asked, popping into my sight. "That spell could not have been healthy."

I sat up, holding my head in my hands. "What happened?" I asked, groaning. My head was pounding.

"I cast a teleportation spell on us." Alanna replied, sounding relieved to see me alive. "We would have died, otherwise. Five trolls, a spriggan, and her pet bear? There was no way we could have made it."

The pounding in my head lessened somewhat, and I looked up. I was sitting on the floor in the middle of what seemed to be a throne room of some sort. The room seemed equally split between orange and blue decorations, as if the owner couldn't decide what they wanted. Two women in revealing armor stood guard on either side of the empty throne, eyeing me suspiciously. An Imperial woman in a purple dress stood over me, and a Breton man in an odd-looking suit stood near the throne.

"Where are we?" I asked, taking all of it in. The people looked... insane.

"We are in the New Sheoth Palace." Alanna said solemnly. "Seat of Sheogorath, Prince of Madness, Lord of the Never-There, Sovereign of the Shivering Isles."

* * *

**(A/N) ****I do understand that Sheogorath's Protection (the spell Alanna used) can only be used in the Shivering Isles, can only be used on one person, and can only be used when you are near death. This is another example of me tweaking rules to suit my fanfiction purposes.**


	11. Chapter 10: Madwoman of the Isles

**(A/N) Hey guys, my muses apparently liked the cookies I bribed them with, because they're still here! I must admit, I'm kind of unhappy with this chapter. It didn't write easily.**

**I made some changes to the nobility of the Isles. Just some minor ones, to fill some vacancies. Kithlan is the new Duke of Dementia, and Wide-Eye is the Duchess of Mania. Anya and Gundlar are still kicking around, too.**

* * *

I must have passed out or something, because the next thing I knew, I was being shaken forcefully. The pain in my strained muscles flared up, and I cried out, my eyes flying open.

"My Lord, I would advise not doing that in the future." the Breton man in the weird suit said, raising an eyebrow. "Your companion seems to be... damaged, and that only serves to agitate her further."

Alanna removed her hand from my shoulder, looking appropriately abashed. "I apologize, Raven." she said. "I understand you are not in the best condition at the moment. How are you feeling?"

"Like the jaws of Oblivion have chewed me up and spat me out." I replied, gritting my teeth.

Alanna winced. "Yeah, that would be a pretty accurate description." she said. "The spell I used teleported us from Nirn into Oblivion. I've never tried to use it from Nirn before, and it apparently hasn't done you much good." She looked up at the Imperial woman. "Penela, isn't there anything you can do?"

"I am uncertain, my Lord." Penela replied. I would have to ask Alanna about the "my Lord" thing later. "She appears to be in perfect physical condition. Her pain and fatigue must be mental in nature."

"Demented, then." Alanna muttered. "Or possibly Manic, who knows for sure?" Her eyes flashed a little, and for a second I could have sworn they had turned gold. When I looked again, they had gone back to their normal purple-red. I must have imagined it.

"We will remain in New Sheoth until you are fully recovered." she declared. "After that, we shall travel back to Cyrodiil and resume our journey from Bravil."

"Bravil?" I asked, frowning. "Couldn't we just go back to where we left?"

"It is... not that simple." Alanna replied. "I believe I broke a few rules by opening the barrier between Nirn and Oblivion, even temporarily. This may be the origin of your condition. The mortal mind isn't normally capable of jumping between the worlds like that. Either way, there is technically only one point where Nirn and the Shivering Isles meet: the Door. It appears on Nirn in the Niben Bay, just east of Bravil. We will have to travel to the Door and re-enter Nirn from there." She peered into my face, frowning. "You are taking this far too well." she remarked.

"Perhaps it is because she is already Mad, my Lord." the man in the suit said. "Look into her mind. Your influence took root inside of her long ago." _What did that mean?_

Alanna placed her hand on my forehead and closed her eyes. I felt a strange power wash through me, leaving me feeling strange and slightly giddy. When Alanna opened her eyes, she nodded. "You're right, Haskill. I should have noticed it earlier." She looked at me and grinned. "We are going to have a splendid time here." she said to me.

* * *

The first thing I did in the Shivering Isles was take a long bath. It had been a while since I had had a proper warm bath, and soaking did wonders for my muscles. When I got out, a woman who introduced herself as Anya helped me get into a plain gray shirt and a pair of brown pants. "The Lord wishes to see you as soon as possible." she said as I wrung out my hair. "You must become a Citizen of the Isles before someone tries to complain. Although, I suppose, with the Lord's favor, you should already be considered an Honored Madwoman... Oh, it hurts to think."

Amyath, who had been sitting by the edge of the bathtub and had been unusually quiet since our arrival, looked up at me. "If you're mad, does that mean I'm not real?" she asked softly.

I stopped messing with my hair, looking at her in confusion. "Whatever would make you think that?" I asked. "Of course you're real. If you were some figment of my imagination, you wouldn't know the first thing about alchemy, and you definitely wouldn't know anything about Bosmer culture." She had been telling me a little about her life as the daughter of a Bosmer immigrant in Anvil, about a hundred years ago. She had taught me things about Bosmeri culture that I was sure I never wanted to hear again. Just thinking about their death rituals made me shudder.

"Ah, a ghostly hallucination?" Anya asked me, raising her eyebrows. She smiled. "You are Demented, for sure. It will give Duke Kithlan great pleasure to welcome you to the Court of Dementia." Her eyes dimmed a little, and her smile faded. "But for now, we must see the Lord. She will not tolerate being kept waiting for much longer."

* * *

Anya led me through several hallways until we reached the blue throne room. At least, that's what I called it, seeing as no one had supplied me with any other name. Judging by the decoration in the "big throne room", I assumed that there was another one around here somewhere that was decorated in orange. There wasn't really much originality in the color scheme, apparently.

Anya stopped me at the door to the big throne room. "When you get in there, proceed directly to the carpet." she instructed. "Walk in the middle of the carpet, one foot in each color. That will signify that you have not declared your alignment yet. When you reach the steps, kneel. Be polite and respectful to the Lord, and you may live." She looked a little worried. "Walk with our Lord." she said, and it sounded like a kind of blessing.

I _may_ live? I wondered about that as Anya opened the door to the big throne room. Aunt Alanna would never hurt me, would she?

The answer to that question came as soon as I saw the figure on the throne. It was Alanna, but she was... different. She sat regally on the throne, staring forward into nothing... and everything. She was clad in a royal purple dress with elaborate golden adornment, and a diadem shone on her ebony hair. Across her lap was a wooden staff with... was that an _eyeball_ on the end of it? Her bearing and garments all screamed _power_.

But the most terrifying thing about her was her eyes. They were no longer the purplish-red eyes that laughed with the present and were haunted by the past. These eyes were golden orbs that saw everything and nothing, that could burn you alive or make you see ghosts just for sheer pleasure. I saw then what Anya meant by saying that I _may_ survive. Those eyes did not belong to Alanna. They belonged to the Madgod, and in the Madgod's Realm, Her whim was what determined my life... or death.

I let none of my betraying emotions show on my face as I stepped onto the carpet. Making sure that one foot was planted firmly on each color, I walked slowly to the throne where my aunt - the Madgod - waited, keeping my emotions off my face and my head properly bowed. In truth, I feared this woman, who was both familiar and unknown to me.

When I reached the steps that led up to the throne, I knelt, keeping my head down. Everything was silent for a long moment, and then I felt that golden gaze bearing down on me.

"Well, look who's here!" I suppressed a shudder at the voice. It was a voice both strange and familiar to me. It had made itself quite at home within my dreams these past few weeks, murmuring incoherent words to me as I slept. The voice of the Madgod, filled with Her power. "You! What a surprise."

I heard the Madgod stand, walk a slow circle around me, then sit back on Her throne. "I have been waiting a long time for you, young madwoman. Or perhaps not long at all. The passage of time bores Me. What matters now is that you are here. Look up at Me." Reluctantly, I looked up at this Daedra Lord in my aunt's body. Those golden eyes were lit with some kind of inner glee, matched equally with the darkness of inner depression. They were the incarnation of Madness itself.

"You seek Citizenship in My Isles." Sheogorath said. "So few come here anymore. The world has no room for Madness, it seems." She chuckled darkly, Her eyes flicking around the room before settling on me again. "But there is always Madness in the world, especially in Tamriel. You are an example of that Madness." She paused. "Or perhaps it is not Madness. Perhaps you are one of those rare mortals who can truly see beyond the veils of Death. It is no matter. You will embrace the Madness within you, or you will be consumed by it. It is of no import to Me."

I barely stopped myself from shaking. It was unsettling, hearing such words out of Alanna's mouth. As if she didn't care whether I lived or died. _This isn't Alanna_, I reminded myself sternly. _This is a Daedra Lord. What would She care for the lives of mortals?_

"However, should you embrace your Madness, you will have a place among My Isles. I, Sheogorath, Prince of Madness, Lord of the Never-There, Sovereign of the Shivering Isles, on this day declare Raven Llervu a Madwoman of my Realm."

* * *

**(A/N) I used the achievement names from the Xbox version to come up with the ranks. Before becoming a Madwoman, Raven was an Aspirant. Just figured I let you guys know.**

**I had a lot of trouble with the whole Alanna/Sheogorath thing. For fanfiction purposes, Alanna is just a mortal who is occasionally possessed by the power of the Madgod. He's regaining His strength from being defeated as Jyggalag, or something. Eventually, He'll be strong enough for Him not to need Alanna's body anymore (this is my explanation for why He shows up in His normal form in Skyrim) As for His conversation, let's just assume He is a little influenced by Alanna's not-quite-mad mind. That's my excuse for why it's kind of awful.**


	12. Chapter 11: The Houses and The Choice

After we left Sheogorath's presence, Anya took me on a tour of the House of Dementia. This was the blue half of the Palace. When I asked Anya about the orange decorations, she didn't seem pleased.

"What you speak of is the Court of Mania." she said, as if the words bothered her somehow. "I do not enter that place. You will have to find someone else to answer your questions about it."

Amyath was really interested in the House of Dementia, asking all sorts of questions about the architecture, the art, and the guards. Since Anya couldn't hear her, I had to ask all of Amyath's questions. They seemed to pull her out of the dark mood my questions about Mania put her in.

"Your enthusiasm says good things about your possible alignment, young Madwoman." she said with a smile. "Come, now, let me introduce you to the Duke."

Duke Kithlan was a Redguard man who looked suspicious of everything. "A new Madwoman?" he asked, looking me over. "Another outsider? I don't like the sound of this. Last time an outsider got in, Order tried to take over."

"This Madwoman has the personal blessing of Sheogorath." Anya said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "And I am fairly certain that she is Demented. Duke Kithlan, may I present Raven Llervu, the newest Madwoman of the Shivering Isles. Raven, this is Duke Kithlan, ruler of the House of Dementia."

"A pleasure to meet you." I said, bowing. I wasn't quite used to dealing with nobles. Countess Valga of Chorrol was very laid-back with her townspeople, and formality was kind of useless there.

The Duke regarded me suspiciously. "If you truly are Demented, you may be of use to me." he said, nodding. "We shall see."

"Excuse me for interrupting," We turned to see Haskill, the man in the odd suit, "but My Lord has requested that the Madwoman be accompanied to the House of Mania." he said. "If you would come with me, please."

I looked at Anya, who seemed to have gone back into a bad mood. "Go with Haskill." she muttered. "Should you wish to return, I shall be here."

I turned back to Haskill, who looked rather impatient. "Let us hurry, if you would." he said. "The Duchess of Mania will be personally overseeing your tour of her House, and it is not polite to keep her waiting."

I followed Haskill out of the House of Dementia and into the big throne room again. I glanced at the throne and saw that it was empty. "My Lord is out at the moment." Haskill said without turning. "She was needed in another part of the Realm. She should return by dawn tomorrow."

I relaxed, and then felt bad. I shouldn't be scared of my own aunt. Looking at Haskill, I wondered what his purpose was. "What do you do here?" I asked.

"Ah, curiosity." he said, and I bristled at his condescending tone. "It rarely does a person good. I am the Chamberlain of the Lord Sheogorath. I manage the day-to-day affairs of the Isles, especially in my Lord's absence."

We entered another throne room, this one decorated in orange, as I expected. An Argonian woman in an elaborate green dress stood from the throne and came to us. "Welcome, hatchling." she said, giving me a wide smile. "I am Wide-Eye, Duchess of Mania. I welcome you to my House."

"Um, thank you." I said, bowing. "It's my pleasure."

"Such manners! I like you, little one. Come, let me show you around."

Wide-Eye took my arm and began to lead me around the throne room, telling me about the history of Mania and her duties as the Duchess. I was fairly certain she was under the influence of several drugs. A Nord man came up to us and introduced himself as Gundlar, the steward of the House of Mania.

"May all your days be filled with enlightenment and mirth!" he said, shaking my hand vigorously. "We need a bright young mind like yours in Bliss."

"Bliss?" I asked. It sounded as if he were speaking of a place.

"Yes, Bliss." Wide-Eye said with a smile. "It is the Manic district of New Sheoth. The Demented district is named Crucible." Her eyes got a little unfocused. "Or is it? I can never remember."

"It doesn't matter." Gundlar said, still holding my hand. "Are you going to have dinner with us?" he asked me excitedly.

"Oh, yes, please eat with us." Wide-Eye said. "I do so love dinner guests."

"Well, I don't see why not." I said hesitantly.

"Wonderful!" Gundlar shouted. "I shall make sure we have a place for you." He rushed off, leaving me to blink in surprise.

"Do you like plants?" Wide-Eye asked me.

"Um, yes." I replied, uncertain of her meaning.

"Then come with me, and I shall show you the Halcyon Conservatory." she said, leading me away from the throne. We went past a few guards and to a door that I hadn't noticed before. Opening it, Wide-Eye led me into the most amazing garden I had ever seen.

Trees that looked like giant mushrooms twisted gracefully into the air, joined by some other trees with bright orange leaves. Other plants sprawled out below them, adding their vibrant colors to the mix. The entire place had an air of happiness and creativity.

"This is beautiful!" I exclaimed, staring in wide-eyed wonder at the garden. "I've never seen such plants before… they're so pretty."

Wide-Eye let go of my arm, gesturing to the garden. "Explore, young Maniac." she said with a smile. "The Halcyon Conservatory is open to all."

Amyath and I immediately went to the plants, examining the plants excitedly. I felt like a small child again, attracted to the vibrant colors and the excitement of a new place. A golden-skinned, scantily-clad guard passed me, pausing briefly to raise an eyebrow at my obvious excitement. "Feel free to take what you need." she said. "The fruits of the Conservatory are for all to enjoy."

I looked up at her and smiled, then curiosity got the better of me. "What are you?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. I had never seen such a manner of creature before.

She looked taken aback by my directness. "I am an Aureal." she said haughtily, standing a bit straighter. "You mortals know my kind as Golden Saints. We are tasked with defending this realm against the lesser beings that would destroy it."

"So you're the guards of Mania. That sounds important." I said.

"It is." she said. "And therefore I have more important things to be doing than listening to a mortal's chatter." She walked away, and I stifled a giggle.

"You're certainly happy here." Amyath remarked, smiling at me.

"I think this place is affecting me." I replied. "It's hard not to be happy amidst such beauty." Suddenly, a few golden-orange sparkles danced through the air next to me. "Oh, did you see that, Amyath?" I asked, pointing to where they had been. "It's so nice here."

"Come, hatchling." Wide-Eye said, appearing next to me and taking my arm again. "It is time for us to be going to dinner."

Having dinner with Maniacs is really fun. Gundlar told me a lot of really funny jokes, and Wide-Eye told me stories about famous Maniacs and their achievements. And the food was delicious. I had no idea what a grummite was, but their eggs were definitely tasty.

After we ate, Haskill sent for me again. "You will be sleeping in the House of Dementia tonight." he said, much to Gundlar and Wide-Eye's dismay. "These were my Lord's orders. She mentioned wanting you to experience both kinds of Madness before choosing your alignment."

I bade goodbye to Wide-Eye and Gundlar, promising to visit them tomorrow. Then I let Haskill lead me back to Sheogorath's throne room. "You seem to be quite taken with Mania." he commented as we walked across the multicolored carpet.

"I like it." I admitted. "The bright colors, the vibrant minds. It does appeal to me."

"It is good that you are establishing a preference." Haskill said. "My Lord wishes to know your alignment by the time She returns."

I shuddered. As ashamed as I was to admit it, I was in no hurry for Sheogorath's return. She terrified me.

Anya was pleased that I was back, but she wasn't too happy with the smile on my face. "You are under Mania's influence." she muttered, frowning. "They must have fed you one of their awful drugs. Come along, then. We shall fix you up right away."

Anya led me to a large bedroom, where she told me to sit on the bed and started fussing with something on a table nearby. I watched her attentively as she searched through a store of bottles, choosing one she wanted. She brought it to me and put it in my hand.

"Drink that." she said, frowning at me. "It should reduce the effects of the spores somewhat. I'm assuming by the spores on your clothes that she took you outside?"

"Yes, to this bright, colorful garden!" I said, drinking the potion obediently. It tasted horrible, like the potions my mother gave me when I got sick. I coughed a bit, but drank it all. As I handed the bottle back to her, I felt my euphoria drain a bit. I was suddenly very tired.

One of the purple-skinned guards walked into the room. "This is for you, Anya." she said, handing Anya a note. She looked at me with a curt nod. "Madgod's blessings." she said to me.

"You're a Dark Seducer, right?" I asked her. I remembered Anya telling me something about them earlier today, but not exactly what. My thoughts were a little fuzzy.

"Yes." she said. "That is what mortals call my kind. In our own tongue, we are the Mazken. We guard Crucible and Dementia from those who would wish them harm."

"Interesting." I said.

"Indeed." the Mazken said. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have duties to attend to. Walk with our Lord." She nodded and left the room.

"This place is fascinating." I said to Amyath. "The division between the two types of Madness is so clear, yet so blurred. It's black and white, but it is all gray."

"Spoken like a true Madwoman." Anya said. She looked up from her note. "Lord Sheogorath has been detained in Her duties. You are to stay within New Sheoth until She returns. Once you choose an alignment, if you do, you are to stay in the district of the city that reflects that choice. Bliss for Mania, Crucible for Dementia." She sighed. "For the moment, however, you should get some rest. Let us retire."

I stayed awake a long time, thinking about the two sides of Madness. Mania was bright, ebullient, and full of life. It appealed to me greatly. But Dementia, with its darkness, its intrigue, its corrupted, twisted nature, was also fascinating in its own way. How could I ever choose just one side of my nature?

Why did I have to? If my mind reflected both Mania and Dementia, why did I have to choose just one? I felt that it was unjust. I wanted to prove that one could embrace both sides of Madness, could be both and yet one. I wasn't going to choose an alignment. I would be myself, a bright, corrupted blend of Mania and Dementia. I fell asleep smiling.

* * *

**(A/N) Yeah, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't come up with one single choice for her alignment. So I went with both. It's fair.**

**Since I recently got a new laptop with a MUCH better spell check, I went through and spell checked all my chapters. It's horrifying, the amount of mistakes you guys have been letting me get away with.**

**I realize this is pretty late, but I'm going to send out some thank-yous to the amazing people who have stuck with this story. I just want to give you all big hugs and platefuls of cookies. I hope you take my virtual hugs and cookies instead.**

**To Nalledia, DeusExfreak, Aletheya, TheFallenAngell, and IslandBacon, thank you all for reviewing and giving me your lovely opinions. It's really you guys who keep this thing running. **

**To Aletheya, DeusExfreak, IslandBacon, Nalledia, Sefiriot, and ShadowedFang, thank you for following this story. Sefiriot and ShadowedFang, I would ****_love _****to see your names in my reviewers list. **

**IslandBacon and Nalledia, thanks for adding this story to your favorites lists. **

**Thank you Nalledia for adding it to your community, and for letting me be on the staff. For that matter, thanks for being my Adoring Fan. You've stuck with this story for almost its entire existence, and you have been my reason for continuing when I've gotten discouraged. Thank you so, so much!**

**And for those unnamed readers who make up the rest of the 1,089 views this story has gotten so far, thanks for reading. I would love to see all of your opinions on my story, whether they're good or bad. Don't be afraid to tell me what you think!**


	13. Chapter 12: Crucible

**(A/N) Yeah, so I was going to make a chapter describing ****_both_**** of the sides of New Sheoth, but the Crucible one got kind of really long. So, Chapter 13 will cover Bliss.**

**Thank you Nalledia for reviewing the last chapter!**

* * *

Anya was gone when I woke up. "She left a little while ago." Amyath told me. "She left those here for you." She gestured to a pile of clothing sitting nearby.

I went to the clothes, seeing that they were much the same as the clothing I wore yesterday. A note was sitting on top, in what I assumed was Anya's handwriting.

_Raven,_

_Haskill wants to see you in our Lord's throne room as soon as you wake. Should you decide to spend the day with the Demented, I would be pleased to take you on a tour of Crucible._

"What do you think, Amyath?" I asked as I got dressed. "Should we see Bliss first, or Crucible?"

"I don't know." she replied, shrugging. "We spent a lot of time with the Maniacs yesterday. Why don't we start with the Demented today?"

"Fair enough." I said. "Crucible it is, then. Let's go say hi to Haskill."

Haskill was waiting in the main throne room. "My Lord wished to give this to you." he said, handing me a small package. "She does not yet know when She will return to New Sheoth, but She promises to finish with Her duties as soon as possible. She left you a note." He looked me over, and I got the feeling that he was measuring me, and finding me lacking. "Enjoy yourself in New Sheoth today." He turned and walked away.

"What in Oblivion was that about?" I asked Amyath. She shrugged, as confused as I was. Shaking my head, I focused on opening the package.

I found the note first. I looked over it quickly, and saw that it was in Alanna's handwriting.

_Raven,_

_I'm sorry if I scared you in the throne room. I should have explained my connection with Lord Sheogorath earlier, but I didn't think it would matter. I promise, I'll explain more when I get back._

_In the meantime, I want you to explore New Sheoth. It's a wonderful place, and I think you'll enjoy it. I left you a purse if you want to buy something. Please be careful._

"'Connection to Lord Sheogorath'" I snorted, sticking the note in my pocket. "Yeah, that's one hell of a connection. 'Say, Raven, I'm a Daedra Lord!'" I frowned, looking at Amyath. "You knew, didn't you?" I asked. "You told me that she was madder than I thought. That's what you meant, wasn't it?"

Amyath nodded. "I knew." she answered, looking down. "I didn't at first. But I saw it, while we were travelling. You were asleep, and she was sitting by the campfire. She started muttering about cabbages, and her eyes turned gold. And She… She spoke to me. She knew I was there, and She spoke to me. That's how I found out. I thought about telling you, but… it was Alanna's secret to tell."

I sighed, but didn't reply, because we had reached the throne room of Dementia. Duke Kithlan was sitting on his throne, Anya on a smaller chair beside him. He looked upset about something.

"Good morning, your Grace." I said, bowing. Amyath had told me that was the proper way to address a Duke. "Good morning, Anya."

"If it is Anya's company you seek, you will not get it." Kithlan said, frowning. "She neglected her duties yesterday, and it will not happen again. You should go."

I looked at Anya, and saw that she had been crying recently. She shook her head, gesturing for me to go. I bowed again, and Amyath and I left quickly.

"Which way is Crucible?" Amyath asked once we were outside. We were in a giant courtyard, with other doors that I assumed were to the main throne room and the House of Mania. A Dark Seducer guarded the door nearest us.

"Well, I'm assuming it's on this side." I said, looking at a Dark Seducer walking up the steps. She had to have come from somewhere.

I led the way to the steps, which had giant braziers on either side of them. The side we approached had blue flames, while the other had orange. A Golden Saint was walking down the steps on the orange side, and she turned to her right. I noticed a door near there, which I assumed led to Bliss. Looking the other way, I saw another door. "There." I said to Amyath, pointing. "Come on."

We hurried down the steps, going to the door. Opening it, Amyath and I stepped into Crucible.

* * *

Crucible was a dark, depressing place. Amyath and I stood at the top of a large staircase, with a view of the city. The buildings were rather rundown, and I was pretty sure I saw some blood and sewage in the streets. Everything was in drab shades of gray or brown, except for the Dark Seducers patrolling the streets.

I went carefully down the steep staircase, certain that if I slipped, I was going to break my neck. Avoiding the dried blood at the bottom, I wandered around a building to find a busy street.

"Why, hello there!" A Bosmer man popped up in front of me, smiling. "I'm Brithaur! It's a pleasure to meet someone who doesn't judge me so harshly. The people here, they have some ideas about me."

"Do any of their ideas include the word _thief_?" I asked, snatching the coin he had taken from my coinpurse. "Because my idea is _really bad thief_. I bet I could do a better job of pickpocketing somebody."

Brithaur frowned. "So harsh." he said, shaking his head. "I shall never find someone who isn't so judgmental." He walked away, glancing back at me once or twice.

"Well, that was annoying." I said to Amyath, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Petty thieves are abundant in every city." she said, shrugging. "They usually aren't as bad as that one, though."

We continued down the street, and I found a sign that said "Cutter's Weapons". "Well, that sounds like a suitable name." I said to Amyath, who giggled. I went up the short staircase and entered the shop.

There was blood all over the floor. Ew. I did my best to ignore it as I walked across the room to where a Bosmer worked on hammering a piece of metal. The sleeves of her brown shirt only reached her elbows, and her forearms were covered with cuts in various stages of healing. I realized that there was more than one reason for calling someone "Cutter".

She looked up at me, and I noticed that her eyes were huge. They seemed a bit unfocused, looking at me and beyond me. "They call me Cutter." Her voice was smooth and distant, as if her mind were somewhere else. "I've got the sharpest weapons in the Isles. I would know. I test the blades personally."

With the amount of blood on the floor, I was sure she did. "What kind of blades do you have?" I asked. My sword was perfectly fine, but I did kind of want a dagger.

The distance was suddenly gone from those giant eyes, and she focused on me with such intensity that I had to stop myself from taking a step back. "Ah, you need something sharp? For stabbing, cutting, that sort of thing? I can accommodate you, I assure you." She smiled.

"I just want a dagger." I said, a little spooked by her stare.

"A dagger." she crooned, her voice slipping back into the half-there state it was before. "A small blade, but just as deadly. Sneak up behind someone, slit their throat. Feel their blood pour over your hands. Yes, a dagger." She went to a rack of weapons, selecting a few and bringing them over. "Choose a dagger." she said, setting them on the table.

I examined the daggers, recognizing a few of them from popular styles back home. A simple steel dagger, a curved elven one. I didn't recognize one, which looked crude but sharp.

One in particular interested me. It was made from an unfamiliar dark material, with bronze-colored accents. Cutter noticed my interest. "This blade is made from Madness Ore." she said, caressing the hilt with a finger. "It's a supple and flexible ore. Yet it holds a good edge. Working with Madness Ore is my specialty. This blade is one of but a few in the Isles." Her voice got even dreamier. "I do delicate things with Madness Ore. It tingles across the flesh when it cuts."

"I like it." I said. "How much does it cost?"

"A blade like this is truly priceless." Cutter said. "For this blade, there is no amount of mere gold that can measure its worth. Take it, and think of me fondly when your enemies' blood is dripping through your fingers." She placed the dagger in my hands, smiling at me. "If you need more, you know where to find me. I'm nearly always at work." She turned away, going back to hammering her metal as if I had never interrupted her.

I left the store soon after that, my new dagger strapped to my waist. "That was weird." I commented to Amyath.

She chuckled. "I think that 'weird' is a bit of an understatement." she said. "Look, this sign says 'Museum of Oddities'. I wonder what can be found odd in this Realm?"

"You want to find out?" I asked, looking at the sign. It was an excellent question.

"Perhaps later." she said. "Come on; let's see the rest of the town."

We continued down the street, and I noticed signs for two more shops. One seemed to be a magic shop, while the other looked to just be a general store. An Orc came rushing past us, a dog following at his heels. Behind them came a Khajiit, who seemed to be trying to pet the dog. I looked at Amyath and shook my head. This place was certainly bizarre.

A Breton woman came out of a nearby house, nearly running into Amyath. She stepped aside with a muttered "Excuse me", and continued down the street.

"Wait a second… Did she know you were there?" I asked Amyath. No one else had been near where she had been standing, and normally no one would be able to see her. But that Breton had.

"Apparently." Amyath said, looking as shocked as I felt.

"Let's go talk to her." I said, going after the woman. She was fast, that was for certain. I caught sight of her once before she disappeared into a large building. I read the sign over the door: "Sickly Bernice's Taphouse". It didn't sound like a wise name for a drinking establishment, but I didn't care about that. I hurried in, Amyath at my heels.

The Breton woman was sitting at one of the tables in the dark, nearly empty taproom. I went over to her, Amyath following close behind.

She looked up at me, her brown eyes annoyed. "Is it necessary that you speak with me?" she asked, taking a swig of whatever she was drinking. Her eyes flickered to Amyath, and her annoyance deepened. "Did you come to yell at me for nearly running into you? Look, I'm sorry. Maybe you shouldn't have been standing in front of my door."

I ignored her rudeness. "How is it that you can see Amyath?" I asked. "I'm usually the only one who can see her."

"I see a lot of things." the woman muttered. "Far too much for my liking. Sit down, both of you. Have a drink. It's on me." Her voice rose. "Hey Bernice, can I have two more glasses? Got a couple of friends with me!"

Another Breton came over with two more glasses. She looked much like my new drinking partner. "Here." she said, setting them down. "I didn't touch them too much, so they should be safe." She retreated back behind the bar.

"Don't worry about Aunt Bernice." the woman said, pouring wine into the glasses. She set them in front of Amyath and me. "She thinks she's dying from some mystery illness, but it's all in her head. Crazy bitch." The last sentence was a quiet mutter, and I wasn't sure I was supposed to hear it. "Anyway, I'm Alison Jerick. Former adventurer, but now I'm just a drunkard. Seen too much, done too little. Who are you?"

"I'm Raven Llervu." I said, taking a sip of the wine. It was unfamiliar, but very good. "I showed up here yesterday."

"Sorry to hear that." Alison said. "Why'd you come to this hole? I'm sure there are better planes of Oblivion to show up in."

I opened my mouth to answer, but any words I might have said left me as I noticed another ghost. This one was an Imperial man, one who looked very unhappy. He came over to the table where we sat and took the chair beside Alison.

"I wish I could just get drunk and forget everything like you can, Alison." he said mournfully. "Dammit, being dead was supposed to be peaceful, not just a continuation of my miserable existence!"

"Ugh, you're telling me." Alison said, taking another swig of wine. "I thought that when you died, you would be out of my hair, instead of just hanging around with no one else to bother." She looked at me, noticing my shocked expression. "Oh, yeah. Hirrus, meet my new drinking partner, Ravani or whatever her name is. And her pale friend there, uh, Amragor. Wait, that's a male name… whatever." She drained her glass, refilling it from the open bottle on the table. "This is Hirrus. My dearly departed best friend, who now takes it upon himself to make my life as miserable as his was."

Hirrus glared at Alison. "Well, maybe if you had bothered to kill me properly, I wouldn't be stuck like this." he snapped.

"Yeah, whatever." she said. "Look, you're scaring my guest here. I wish you would quit doing that." She looked at me. "You still look kind of sane." she remarked. "I don't know how you can do it. Hirrus drives me even crazier than I already am."

I looked at Amyath, who grinned. "I don't know either." I said.

* * *

**(A/N) Yay, Cutter's a complete nut! I kind of wish there were Madness Ore daggers, because I think they would be awesome. And I've always loved Hirrus, and since I love him so much, he got to come back as a ghost. Because I am an extraordinarily cruel mistress like that.**

**Alison's appearance is her present for reaching level 25 yesterday :) She's very rude, however, because I made the discovery that while she is level 25, her Speechcraft skill is only... 6. Hooray for my crazy priorities! (And lack thereof)**

**So, starting tomorrow, I'm going to be spending nearly every afternoon at rehearsal for my school's musical. Unfortunately, this means that I will have much less time for writing fanfiction. I will do my best, because I love you all, but my updates will probably be even slower than usual. I apologize in advance.**


	14. Chapter 13: Bliss

**(A/N) Hey guys, I am still alive, although my director seems to be trying her best to change that. Thank you Nalledia for reviewing the last chapter. IslandBacon, I don't know if you're still hanging around, but I did add your sister's character (finally!). I tweaked her a bit, and she's pretty minor, but she is now in existence. For the rest of you, welcome to my twisted version of Bliss. It's lovely, it truly is :)**

* * *

I have seen a lot of strange things in my lifetime. My brother going an entire day without realizing that he wasn't wearing pants, for an example. A flying pitcher that kept hitting everybody in the Mages Guildhall on the head, for another. I've seen strange things that were funny, strange things that were confusing, and strange things that were disturbing. And the dancing Nord in a sky blue dress was certainly all three.

We had gone to Bliss after meeting Alison and her buddy Hirrus. Both Amyath and I were a little spooked by the nonchalant way Alison spoke of things she's seen and done. Like killing Hirrus, for example. It was just… creepy. So we went to Bliss to find something to lighten our moods. And we found a Nord man dancing around and reciting poetry. In a dress.

_"Manic depression befriends me  
Hear Her voice.  
Sanity now it's beyond me  
There's no choice."_

The man stopped when he saw me. "This is a grand day. Greetings, my Dunmer friend!" he exclaimed, taking my hands and pulling me into a hug. I made a sound that sounded like a half-squeak, half-scream.

When he let me go, I was thoroughly spooked. "Uh, hi." I squeaked, eyes wide. I don't think a Nord had ever been so enthusiastic in greeting me.

"What is your name, my friend?" he asked, unaware of my nervousness. "I am Alfhedil the Storm-Warder, dancer and poet extraordinaire." He curtseyed to me, which made Amyath start to giggle.

"I-I'm Raven." I offered hesitantly.

"Raven!" he cried, startling me.

_"In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.  
Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore'._

A quite lovely rhyme, wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course." I said, impressed despite myself. I was awful at poetry, and had always been in awe of those who seemed to pull rhymes out of the air. "You're a good poet."

"A poet, to play with the communication of the soul!" he cried, doing a little twirl. I had almost forgotten that he was wearing a dress. "There is nothing like poetry to say what the soul desires, is there?"

"Of course not, dear." An Altmer woman came up to us, putting a hand on Alfhedil's shoulder. "I do hope he hasn't been troubling you." she said to me. "I am Emilia, Alfhedil's…caretaker, of sorts." She smiled. "You must be new to Bliss. Most of the residents here are used to his behavior."

"It's all right." I said quickly. "I was admiring how nice of a poet he was."

_"There is no frigate like a book  
To take us lands away,  
Nor any coursers like a page  
Of prancing poetry." _

Alfhedil smiled at me after reciting that, and I clapped politely. Amyath clapped as well, but they couldn't hear her.

"Come along, Alfhedil, it's time for you to come back inside." Emilia said to him, taking his arm.

"Oh, all right." he said, looking disappointed. "It was lovely to meet you, stately Raven." He curtseyed again, then allowed himself to be led away.

Once they were out of my sight, I exhaled, letting myself relax. "That was even scarier than the smithy full of blood." I said to Amyath.

"I enjoyed it." she said, smiling. "I do love poetry, although I am an atrocious poet."

We wandered down the main street, admiring the bright colors and the orange sparkles that floated through the air. The people here all seemed very happy. I saw a juggling Bosmer and a Dunmer carrying a big bowl, and both were smiling like it was the Old Life Festival.

An Argonian suddenly popped up in front of me, also smiling widely. "Singings and ringings to you!" he cried. "Sing for Big Head!"

"Uh, what?" I asked, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Sing to Big Head. Sing to him." He laughed. "A new face in the Isles. Songs of newness, songs of gladness! A new friend for Big Head! Songs of friendship! Songs of ship-friends!"

"I think his name is Big Head." Amyath whispered to me. "Funny. His head looks normal-sized to me."

Indeed, his head was quite normally proportioned for an Argonian. "I can't sing." I said to Big Head.

His face fell, but soon brightened. "All can sing!" he exclaimed. "Hear the music. Music of toads. Music of roads! Sing to yourself, so all can hear!" He pulled a fork out of his pocket and handed it to me. "Songs of forks will follow you. Hear the songs! Songs of home, songs of forks!"

Yep, I had stumbled upon a true lunatic. "Um, thank you." I said, taking the fork. Unsure of what to do with it, I just held it in my hand.

"Presents for you! Songs of giving! Singings and ringings to you!" And with that, he walked away.

"These people are nuts." I remarked to Amyath. "I like it."

We continued down the street until we came to a store with a sign that read "Books of Bliss". "Oh, let's look at some books." I said, hopping up the stairs.

The woman behind the counter was an Altmer. She had looked up when I came in, then frowned. "Another new woman." she said, shaking her head. She glared at me. "Well, we can start off by getting one thing straight. The men around here are mine. You want fresh pickings, go out and scrounge up some leftovers in a settlement or something."

I was taken aback by her rudeness, and by the implications in her voice and words. "I'm a bit young for that kind of thing." I said, eyeing her warily. "No need to worry about me."

"Well, I don't like competition. Stay away from the menfolk, and we'll get along just fine. Now, did you need something?"

"Just browsing." I said. "I'm new around here, and haven't gotten the chance to read much yet."

"As you say. Tell me if you need help with something." She looked down at the book she was reading, effectively ignoring my presence.

I rolled my eyes with Amyath and went to browse a nearby bookshelf, noticing that a few of the books here were ones that I had read in Cyrodiil. Apparently the two were more connected than I thought. A couple of the books looked interesting, though. I pulled one off the shelf, looking at the cover. There was a picture of a tree-like figure on it, and the title was "Bark and Sap: The Root System and the Ecology and Culture of the Gnarl". I assumed that the tree-creature was a Gnarl.

Shrugging to myself, I put the book back on the shelf and continued browsing. There were books on the flora and fauna of the Shivering Isles, which might prove useful. Some books seemed to be biographies, some just random ramblings. It was quite a diverse collection.

One book in particular interested me. It was called "The Madness of Pelagius" and seemed to be a biography on the Mad Emperor. It certainly looked interesting enough.

"How much is this?" I asked the shopkeeper, holding the book up.

She looked quickly. "Twenty-five septims." she replied, turning back to her book.

I looked down at the book, deciding that it was worth it. "I'll take it." I said, digging in my coinpurse for the money. "Here you go." I put the coins on the bar, then left with my new book.

Amyath and I spent the rest of the day hopping between Crucible and Bliss, talking with the incredibly diverse citizens of New Sheoth. When we finally returned to the Palace at dusk, I was worn out, but happy. I had made several new friends, had a new dagger and a book to read, and I had found someone else who could see ghosts. In all, it seemed like a fulfilling day.

* * *

**(A/N) It is a good thing my brother doesn't read fanfiction, or else he might beat the crap out of me for turning his big sword-swinging Nord character into a dancing poet in a dress. He's the one who said that it would be funny if male characters could wear dresses. His mistake :P**

**Anyway, if anyone cares to know, I am a terrible poet and did not write any of Alfhedil's poems. The first is a slightly changed excerpt from Ozzy Osbourne's "Diary of a Madman", the second is from Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven", and the third is from Emily Dickenson's "A Book". Amusingly enough, all of these poets (I totally count Ozzy as a poet) should really be considered Demented, yet I have a Maniac recite their works. It's my world.**

**My goal is to have the next chapter up by next Thursday (1/24) as my birthday present to you all. I should be able to manage it of my director doesn't murder me. Beware, because I think Alanna's coming back. Until next time!**


	15. Chapter 14: A Return, and A Dilemma

**(A/N) Hey guys, I apologize for such a late, short, crappy chapter. My director decided to spring a few surprise rehearsals on me, and then my laptop started acting up. It's been a busy week.**

* * *

Alanna returned two days after Amyath and I explored New Sheoth for the first time. We were walking down the street in Crucible with Alison, who had apparently decided to quit drinking long enough to teach us about Dementia. Hirrus walked by her side, muttering under his breath. I had gotten used to his presence; though it did bother me that he had asked Alison to murder him.

We were passing Cutter's shop when I noticed a familiar figure. "Aunt Alanna!" I called, running to her. She looked tired, but her eyes were normal, at least.

"Hello, Raven." she said, smiling faintly at me. "I see you have found a place in Crucible."

"Ah, my Lord." Alison walked up beside me, looking unimpressed. "I should have noticed the resemblance between you two earlier. Forgive me for not paying attention."

"Alison." Alanna looked equally unimpressed. "A pleasure, as always."

"I'm only a pleasure when I'm drunk. Which I'm not, for Your niece's sake. Someone needs to make sure she isn't stabbed in the alleys." Her tone and its implications were clear. These two definitely didn't like each other.

"Raven is able to watch her own back." Alanna said coldly. "However, I do have to return her to her mother eventually, and I would rather not have her corrupted by you and your… visions. Raven, come with me."

I looked between the two of them, angry Dunmer against equally angry Breton. "I'll see you around, Alison, Hirrus." I said, moving a bit closer to Alanna. Although I was still a bit apprehensive when it came to Alison's ruthless personality—which had been clearly displayed for me several times—I was far more afraid of what would happen if my aunt turned back into Sheogorath.

Alison looked at me, frowning. "I suppose you will." she said, nodding before turning around. "Come on, Hirrus. Time to go pester Aunt Bernice."

Alanna led me up the street to the Palace, looking irritated. "Of all the people in Dementia to take you under their wing, it had to be Alison." she muttered darkly. "She's still trying to get back at me…"

"Why don't you like Alison?" I asked, jogging to keep up with her. She was moving fast.

She looked at me, then slowed down so that I could walk beside her. "Let's just say we've got an old rivalry," she said, "and leave it at that."

I obediently shut my trap, though I was curious as to why exactly they hated each other. Amyath walked beside me, obviously interested as well.

Haskill greeted us in the Palace throne room. "Welcome back, my Lord." he said, bowing slightly.

"Thanks, Haskill." she said. "Where is Penela?"

"I am here, my Lord." Penela, the Imperial healer, popped up beside Haskill. "Do You require healing?"

"Yes." Alanna replied. In her Palace, she now drooped with fatigue. I had never seen her so tired. She held out a hand, which Penela took after a second's hesitation. Penela bent over her hand for a moment, deep in concentration, then the pale blue light of healing washed over Alanna.

She straightened considerably. "Thank you, Penela." she said, freeing her hand from the healer's grip. "I appreciate that."

"It is my duty, my Lord." she said with a curtsy. She backed away respectfully, and Alanna turned back to Haskill.

"I went to every settlement and made sure that there were no monsters around." she said. "They should all be safe for the moment."

"It seems all is peaceful in the Shivering Isles." Haskill said, looking surprised. "Will wonders never cease?" He quickly returned his look of patronizing boredom, though. "What will You do now, my Lord?" he asked.

"Raven and I must return to Cyrodiil." Alanna declared. "There is no other choice. We will travel to the Door, and enter Nirn in Niben Bay." She turned to me. "After that, we will go to the Imperial City and tell Chancellor Ocato to go stuff himself and find an actual cartographer to make a map."

"Sounds like a plan." I said, but I was unsure. Suddenly, I didn't want to leave the Shivering Isles. I hadn't learned enough about it. And I had made friends here. Cutter, Alfhedil, Alison, Big Head. If I returned to Chorrol, I would most likely never see them again. But if I stayed here… my mother and brother would worry. I looked to Amyath for some kind of guidance, but she didn't seem to know, either.

What was this sudden attachment to the Isles?

* * *

**(A/N) Yeah, this chapter was total crap, but it was the best I could dream up with so little time. The next chapter probably won't be published for a while, as I now have several other projects that I am working on.**

**In case anyone cares, I officially have a FictionPress account now. My pen name is Flame-and-Fang, and it's a shared account with my brother. I'm the Flame half, and I'll be writing fantasy stories involving lots of magic. I don't have anything posted yet, but I'm working on it. **

**This means that I am probably going to be spending less time on fanfiction, but I promise that I will see this story through to the end (whatever that may be). Until next time, folks.**


	16. Chapter 15: Leaving the Isles

**(A/N) Wow, I kind of completely abandoned this story. I feel pretty terrible about it. But this chapter at least has a decent length to it.**

* * *

"Are you ready to go, Raven?"

I checked my bag one more time, making sure I had everything. "I guess so." I said, hitching it onto my shoulder. Amyath stood beside me, looking around the room with a sad expression on her face. She didn't want to go, either.

Alanna's expression softened. "Ah, you've been pulled in." she said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "This Realm does grow on you. Sometimes, I feel more attachment to the Shivering Isles than I do Cyrodiil." She sighed. "You might make it back someday, my dear. But for now, you are needed at home."

Amyath and I followed Alanna out of the Palace and down the steps to Crucible. "The Low Road from Crucible is the most straightforward route to the Fringe, and therefore to the Door." she explained as we walked down the street. "We should reach it by this evening."

"Okay." I said in reply. I caught sight of Hirrus, who was wandering around in front of Sickly Bernice's. He raised his hand in a wave, and I smiled back.

When we reached the gate that led to the rest of the Shivering Isles, we were met by a Dark Seducer guard. "You honor me, Lord." she said, saluting Alanna respectfully.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Jansa." Alanna said, raising an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be at the Palace?"

"There was a miscommunication with the patrols, so I am helping compensate for a sudden deficiency in the Guard." the Seducer said. "It is already being cleared up, my Lord."

"Good. I trust that you will have less miscommunication in the future." Alanna walked forward and opened the gate. "Come, Raven."

* * *

The landscape of the Isles is beautiful, in a strange and exotic way. I had seen some of the plants before, in New Sheoth and the Halcyon Conservatory, but some of them were completely new to me. Amyath and I spent more time staring at the plants than we did watching where exactly we were going.

"Raven, look out!" Alanna grabbed my arm and yanked me back, saving me from stumbling down a steep hill. I had caught sight of a strange mushroom-plant, and hadn't been paying attention to where I was walking.

"Sorry." I mumbled, blushing. Amyath giggled, and I directed a glare at her.

"Hey, don't look at me like that." she said, putting her hands up. "It was funny."

"Was not." I said.

"Was too."

"Was not!"

"Now children, let's not make a fuss." Alanna put her hand on my shoulder, grinning. "If it makes you feel any better, Raven, the first time I was here, I was so busy staring at all the plants that I walked right off a cliff and into a pond."

"You didn't!" I looked at her incredulously. Alanna was inhumanely graceful with everything she did. I couldn't imagine her falling, ever.

"I did indeed." she said. "Fortunately, the only things to see me do it were the plants."

We resumed our journey, and I paid more attention to where my feet were going. Alanna started talking about the different plants; their names, whether they were edible or not, and what parts of them were good for making potions. Amyath and I learned a lot while we were walking.

As we passed a gigantic mushroom tree, some exotic creature of a kind I had never seen came charging out, brandishing a crude dagger. Before I could react, Alanna had her sword out and had run it through.

"Take a good look, Raven." she said, waving me over to examine the carcass. I came hesitantly, looking it over with morbid curiosity. It was short and squat, with some sort of crude armor on its arms and around its waist. "This is a Grummite, one of the primitive beings that inhabit the caves and ruins of the Isles." Alanna explained. "They're kind of like the goblins back home. They've got their own culture, hierarchy, means of making weapons. I've taken a scholarly interest in them, and like to research them when I've got the time."

"That's really interesting." I said, my curiosity piqued. I looked at its weapon, which it had dropped when Alanna felled it. It was crude, but razor-sharp. "This looks like it would hurt." I said to Amyath, who nodded.

"Trust me, it does." Alanna said. "Their cudgels are worse. Nearly broke my wrist when one of them caught me." She stood, backing away from the Grummite's corpse. "Back away, you two." she said, her palm starting to glow with magic. "I've got to burn the thing."

Amyath and I backed away hurriedly, and Alanna charged magic in her palm. "You're going to want to avert your eyes." she said, clenching her fist. It glowed with an unnaturally white light. I looked at Amyath, and out of the corner of my vision I saw a flash of white. When I looked back, there was nothing left of the Grummite but a pile of ash and a lump of some kind of metal.

"Learned that spell studying with a master of Destruction magic." Alanna said, walking forward and picking up the lump. "She was a complete nutcase; had something against Kynareth, for some reason. But she could craft a mean spell." She looked at me, holding up the lump. "Madness Ore." she said in explanation to my confused expression. "Cutter, the smith in Crucible—you met her, right?—she makes weapons and armor out of this stuff. She's also a complete nutcase, but in an endearing kind of way." She stuffed the ore into her bag, and we continued on our way.

We got attacked by two more Grummites, a strange spider-like creature that Alanna called an Elytra, and a bizarre skeleton-thing that exploded into ice when it died. Alanna called that a Shambles.

"Are you all right?" she asked after she killed it. I had been hit with a blast of freezing air from the explosion, and a piece of ice had cut my cheek.

"I-I'm f-f-fine." I chattered. "Just r-really c-cold."

"Sorry about that." she apologized. "I should have told you to back off. Shambles are the most stubborn creatures in the Isles—even after you kill them, they're determined to take you with them."

* * *

As the sun was setting, painting the sky in brilliant colors that might have made Azura jealous, we reached a large wall. "Welcome to the Gates of Madness." Alanna said, pointing to two giant black openings in the wall. "Through these gates is the Fringe, and past that, the Door." She led the way into one of the openings, and after sharing an apprehensive glance with Amyath, we followed.

I don't remember going through an actual gate. There was just blackness all around, and then I was standing on the other side of the wall. I was looking at a large stone area, guarded by a gigantic creature that put chills in my spine.

"Don't be scared of the Gatekeeper." Alanna said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You have the Madgod's blessing, so he'll leave you alone."

Sure enough, though the creature turned to watch us as we passed it, it made no move to stop us. "What is it?" Amyath asked, frowning.

I relayed the question to Alanna, and she explained, "The Gatekeeper is the first line of defense for the Shivering Isles. He makes sure that casual adventurers can't just go in as they please. As for what he is… well, he's a flesh atronach bound to this Realm by some sort of strange magic. You'd have to ask Relmyna Verenim—his creator—for more information, but I really don't recommend that."

We came across a little town, which Alanna called Passwall. "This is where those who have not attained the Blessing of Sheogorath wait." she said. "We won't tarry here. Let's go, before Shelden finds out we're here."

Alanna hurried us along up the road, where we were attacked by another Grummite. Alanna efficiently killed it and disposed of the corpse, and we continued up a hill to a strange glowing portal.

"This is the Door." she explained, walking to it. "When we go through it, we will end up on an island in the Niben Bay, not far from Bravil. We'll swim across the bay, stay the night in Bravil, then continue on to the Imperial City in the morning. Got it?"

"Yep." I replied.

"Good. I'll go through the Door first. The guard on the other side knows me, and isn't likely to try to run me through. You follow quickly." Casting a wary glance behind her, she took a deep breath and walked into the portal.

I looked behind me, at the beauty of the Isles. It was a captivating, lively place, and I would miss it greatly. I looked at Amyath. "Do you think we'll ever come back?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I hope so."

"I hope so too." Glancing back one last time, I steeled myself and strode through the portal.

* * *

**(A/N) I am unsure about the future of this story. It's getting kind of close to the end, but I'm not quite sure how I'm going to wrap everything up yet. Hopefully, there won't be a three-month gap in between updates this time. That was a horrible thing to do; I had to keep going up to earlier chapters to figure out what's already happened. Just keep faith, guys. I'll get this done eventually.**

**I'm also working on a new story for fanfiction, which will also be a long one. I'm not sure about the title just yet, but it will cover Alanna's backstory as she arrives in Cyrodiil and the events leading up to her imprisonment and the Oblivion Crisis. It probably won't tie in with this story, but I figured I'd warn you all before I start posting it.**


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